


Hymn for the stars

by Tearanny



Series: Warriors AU Bullshit [1]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, RiverClan (Warriors), ShadowClan (Warriors), Suicidal Thoughts, ThunderClan (Warriors), Warriors AU, WindClan (Warriors), added some background characters and moved cats around, adn i changed some coat colors, also i give zero fucks about age gaps, and edited family members, and remains deputy, bc in into the wild Bluestar complains about not having enough warriors, fireheart is definitely going to be an expensive abyssinian lmaoo, fireheart still joins thunderclan though, i changed allegiances around, it isnt pedophilia calm down, redtail is a klinefelter tortoiseshell tom, redtail isn't killed by tigerstar, so i want to make her concerns valid (uwu), some cats have had their sex changed for various reasons, when thunderclan is literally the largest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-04-22 18:31:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 62,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14314632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tearanny/pseuds/Tearanny
Summary: Thunderclan has been through a harsh few moons. Its leader passed on after only a few moons to his duties, and warriors perished left and right from hypothermia and starvation. Many cats began to doubt that leaf-bare would ever end, and whispers began that such bad weather was brought upon by a former thunderclan leader leaving as a kittypet. It certainly didn't illuminate the clan's reputation well.But the clans have been through much, and must persevere despite the hunger and war that looms over them.Bluestar is thunderclan's newest leader, after sacrificing much to get to her station. She knows her path is wrought with danger, after all- one of her warriors is foretold that he is to bring the clan to its undoing. Desperate to keep her clan afloat, she appoints one of thunderclan's youngest warriors, but perhaps one of the brightest, to the position of deputy: Redtail. He plans to ignite a fire of hope and survival in thunderclan, and maybe Starclan will hear their cry.Redtail has to try. but Thunderclan has its doubts.





	1. Clan Allegiances

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, 
> 
> welcome to my very first fanfic of anything. ever. Originally this was going to be a Nanowrimo story but then life got in the way and i never actually did anything, so i figured i might as well do it here. 
> 
> I've had this idea for a long while, and I'm really excited to write this. Of course, I changed a lot of characters' appearances, but the world and personalities surrounding those characters is mostly the same. 
> 
> An asterisk(*) depicts an 'original character' of sorts. Most of them will be background characters made for various reasons- usually to make other clans have a population more than 5. I'll also be paying more attention to genetics, even though i know it really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things- it just makes it easier to categorise things.

# Allegiances

##### Thunderclan:

**Leader:**

Bluestar: Pale blue-grey tabby she-cat with a white chest and stomach, and amber eyes.(mother to Mistpaw and Stonepaw, mate to Thrushpelt)

**Deputy:**

Redtail: small black tabby tortoiseshell tom with a white chest, and muzzle.(brother of Spottedleaf, child of Dappletail)

 _Apprentice:_ Dustpaw

**Medicine Cat:**

Spottedleaf: small black tabby tortoiseshell she-cat with white patches(sister to Redtail, child of Dappletail)

**Warriors:**

Fuzzypelt: wiry-furred black tom(mate to Robinwing, father to Dustpaw and ravenpaw)

Thistleclaw: grey tabby tom with white patches and amber eyes. (Father to birchtail and whitecloud, mentor to tigerclaw, former mate of patchpelt)

Tigerclaw: small black spotted tabby tom with amber eyes, and a scarred muzzle.(mate to goldenflower, child of Leopardfoot)  
_Apprentice:_ Ravenpaw

Leopardfoot: large, sleek dark black smoke spotted tabby she-cat with a white chest and green eyes.(sister to patchpelt and Willowpelt, mother to Tigerclaw. Foster mother of Whitecloud)  
_Apprentice:_ Mistpaw

Patchpelt: black spotted tabby she-cat with white patches.(sister to Leopardfoot and Willowpelt, former mate of Thistleclaw, mother to Birchtail)

Lionheart: ginger tabby tom with hazel eyes.(brother to goldenflower)  
_Apprentice:_ Greypaw

Whitecloud(previously Whitestorm): large white tom with one amber eye and one blue.(nephew of Bluestar, child of Thistleclaw and Snowfur, foster child of Leopardfoot)  
_Apprentice:_ Sandpaw

Darkstripe: sleek black spotted tabby tom.(child of willowpelt, apprentice of Dappletail, brother to Greypaw)

Birchtail(previously longtail)—pale grey spotted tabby tom with a white chest, stomach, and paws. (child of Patchpelt and thistleclaw)

Falconrush(previously Runningwind)— pale black tabby tom.(brother to mousefur)

 _Apprentice:_  Stonepaw

Willowpelt—very pale gray spotted tabby-and-white she-cat with amber eyes.(sister to Leopardfoot, Patchpelt. Mother to Darkstripe and greypaw)

Mousefur—small black tabby she-cat.(sister to Falconrush)

Robinwing: chocolate tortoiseshell tabby she-cat(mother to Ravenpaw and Dustpaw, mate to Fuzzypelt)

Goldenflower: cream tabby she-cat(mate to tigerclaw, sister to lionheart)

Rosetail: vibrant ginger tabby she-cat(sister to sandpaw)

**Apprentices:**

Dustpaw: wiry-furred dark chocolate tabby tom

Greypaw: dark grey tabby tom(son of willowpelt, brother to Darkstripe)

Ravenpaw: small black tom with a white chest and tailtip

Sandpaw: cream tabby she-cat(sister to Rosetail)

Stonepaw(prev. Stonefur): fawn tabby tom with a small patch of white on his chest.(child of Thrushpelt and Bluestar, brother to Mistpaw)

Mistpaw(previously Mistyfoot): dark grey tabby she-cat with white paws, chest, and stomach. (child of Thrushpelt and Bluestar, sister to Stonepaw.)

**Queens:**

Frostfur: mostly white, black tortoiseshell she-cat(mother of Cinderkit, Brightkit, Brackenkit, Thornkit)

Brindleface: blue tortoiseshell she-cat(mother to Ashkit, Fernkit)

Laureltail(prev. Speckletail): mostly white ginger tabby(mother to snowkit, Lionheart and Goldenflower)

**Elders:**

Halftail—big dark black tabby tom with part of his tail missing.

Stormface(formerly smallear)—gray tom.

One-eye—pale gray she-cat, Virtually blind and deaf.

Thrushpelt: Fawn tabby tom with a white chest, and several large injuries along his flank. (mate to Bluestar, father to Mistpaw and Stonepaw)

 

##### RiverClan

**Leader:**

Crookedstar: Grey tabby tom with a crooked jaw(brother to Breamheart, father to Silverpaw)

**Deputy:**

Breamheart(previously Oakheart): large grey tabby tom

**Medicine cat:**

Mudfur: long-haired light brown tom

**Warriors:**

Skyheart: Pale grey tabby she-cat with a white tailtip.(cousin to Silverpaw)

Blackclaw: smoky black tom.  
_Apprentice:_ Leechpaw(previously Heavypaw)

Sleetclaw(previously Voleclaw): grey tom(brother to Beetlenose and Eveningpelt)  
_Apprentice:_ Dacepaw(previously Vixenkit)

Beetlenose: black tom.(father to Dacepaw and Salmonpaw(previously Grasskit))(brother to Sleetclaw and Eveningpelt)

Shellstream(previously sunfish): grey she-cat. (mother to Dacepaw and Salmonpaw, mate to Beetlenose.)

Leopardfur: ginger spotted tabby she-cat.

Eveningpelt(previously petaldust): dark grey she-cat.(sister to sleetclaw and beetlenose)  
_Apprentice:_ Mosspaw

Carpfang: large black tabby tom with white paws(previously Loudbelly)(brother to Sedgecreek and Reedtail)  
_Apprentice:_ Silverpaw

Whiteclaw: white tom.  
_Apprentice:_ Salmonpaw

Dawnbright: mostly white she-cat with chocolate tabby tortoiseshell patches.(sister to Mallowtail)

Sedgecreek: black tabby she-cat. (sister to Carpfang and Reedtail)

Reedtail: black tabby tom with faint stripes.(brother to Carpfang and Sedgecreek)  
_Apprentice:_ shadepaw

**Apprentices:**

Leechpaw: large black tabby tom.

Dacepaw: dark grey she-cat with two white front paws.(sister to Salmonpaw, child of Shellstream and Beetlenose)

Salmonpaw: grey she-cat with a white tail-tip.(sister to Dacepaw, child of Shellstream and Beetlenose)

Shadepaw: black she-cat with bright green eyes.

Mosspaw: blue tortoiseshell she-cat.

Silverpaw: pale grey tabby she-cat.(child of Crookedstar)

 **Queens:**  
Mallowtail: mostly white she-cat with a few chocolate tabby tortoiseshell patches on her face and paws.(sister to Dawnbright)(expecting whiteclaw’s kits)

 **Elders:**  
Greypool: grey she-cat with patchy fur and a scarred face.

**Windclan**

**Leader:**  
Spiderstar(previously Tallstar): black and white tom.

 **Deputy:**  
Hopstep(previously Deadfoot): black tom with a kinked front left paw.(mate to Ashfoot)

 **Medicine cat:**  
Barkface: beautiful black tabby tom.

 **Warriors:**  
Doespring: Fawn tabby she-cat.(sister to stagleap and ryestalk)

Rookfur(previously sorrelpaw): black she-cat.(sister to Hopstep and Pidgeonface)

Pidgeonface: grey tom with white paws.(brother to Hopstep and Rookfur)

Sloepelt(previously Flykit): black-and-white tom(half-brother to Spiderstar, siblings with Cuckooflight, Rabbitfoot, and Astercloud)

Cuckooflight(previously Wrenflight): grey and white she-cat(mate to Stagleap, mother to Arguswhisker and Ashfoot)

Mudclaw: large dark black tabby tom. Apprentice: Webpaw

Rabbitfoot(previously rabbitkit): mostly white she-cat with a black tail, shoulder, and ears. (half-sister to Spiderstar, siblings with Cuckooflight, Sloepelt, and Astercloud)

Tornear: grey tabby tom with remarkably torn ears.  
_Apprentice:_  Lakepaw(previously Riverpaw)

Arguswhisker(previously Onewhisker): brown tabby tom with a white chest.(child of Cuckooflight and Stagleap, brother to Ashfoot)  
_Apprentice:_ Whitepaw

Astercloud(formerly Bristlekit): dark grey tom with white paws(half-brother to Spiderstar, siblings with Cuckooflight, Rabbitfoot, and Sloepelt)

Ryestalk: old, chocolate tabby she-cat(sibling to Stagleap and Doespring)

Stagleap: dark chocolate tabby tom(mate to Cuckooflight, father to Arguswhisker, Ashfoot, and Owlflower. sibling to Ryestalk and Doespring)

 **Apprentices:**  
Webpaw: small grey tom

Lakepaw(formerly Riverpaw): grey tabby she-cat

Whitepaw: small white she-cat

 **Queens:**  
Ashfoot: grey tabby she-cat with a white muzzle and chest(Mate to Hopstep. mother to Eaglekit, a grey tabby tom with a white tailtip, and Crowkit, a black tom. sister to Arguswhisker and Owflower)

Owlflower(previously morningflower): chocolate tabby she-cat(mother to Gorsekit, a black tabby tom, sister to Arguswhisker and Ashfoot)

**Elders:**

Crowfur: black tom.

Fallowtail: old black tabby tom(father to Greypool)

 

**Shadowclan**

**Leader:**  
Brokenstar: large ginger tabby with a bent tail

 **Deputy:**  
Blackfang(previously Blackfoot): black tom with white paws

 **Medicine Cat:**  
Blizzardnose(previously Runningnose): small gray-and-white tom.(brother to Juniperfoot and Asterpelt)

 **Warriors:**  
Flintfang- grey tom  
_Apprentice:_ Ratpaw

Wasptail(formerly Rowanberry): red tabby she-cat with white paws(mother to stumptail and Dawnfur, mate of Clawface, sister to Hornetwhisker and Yellowfang)

Clawface: heavily scarred chocolate tom.(father to Stumptail and Dawnfur, mate to Wasptail)

Stumptail: ginger tabby tom with a torn tail.(brother to Dawnfur, child of Wasptail and Clawface)  
_Apprentice:_ Minkpaw(formerly Brownpaw)

Dawnfur(formerly cinderfur): small cream tabby tom with a white chest.(brother to Stumptail, child of Wasptail and Clawface)

Hornetwhisker(formerly nutwhisker): small cream tabby tom.(brother to Wasptail and Yellowfang)

Boulderclaw(formerly Boulder): gray tom.  
_Apprentice:_ Eelpaw

Asterpelt(formerly Tangleburr): gray-and-white she-cat(sister to Blizzardnose and Juniperfoot)  
_Apprentice:_ littlepaw

Juniperfoot(formerly Deerfoot): Gray tom with a white chest,stomach, legs, and tail-tip.(brother to Blizzardnose and Asterpelt, father to Ratpaw)

Russetclaw(formerly Russetfur): red tabby she-cat.

Applefur: red tabby she-cat with white paws.

Snowrush(formerly snowbird): large white she-cat.

Nightpelt: lithe black tom.

 **Apprentices:**  
Minkpaw(formerly Brownpaw): chocolate tabby tom(brother to Eelpaw and Littlepaw)

Eelpaw(formerly Wetpaw): dark chocolate tabby tom(Brother to Minkpaw and Littlepaw)

Littlepaw: tiny pale chocolate tabby tom.(brother to Eelpaw and Minkpaw)

Ratpaw: dark grey classic tabby tom with a white tail tip (child of juniperfoot)

**Queens:**

Dawncloud: cream tabby she-cat. (mother to Avocetkit, Foxkit, Morningkit and Hollykit)

Briarwhisker(previously Tallpoppy): pale black tabby she-cat. (expecting Flintfang’s kits)

 **Elders** :  
Ashfur: dark grey tom

 

 

##### Cats outside The Clans:

Pine: old chocolate tabby tom with green eyes and scars across his face.(father to tigerclaw, former mate to Leopardfoot)

Yellowfang: large, battle-scarred, golden tabby she-cat(sister to Hornetwhisker and Wasptail)

Rusty: Ruddy Abyssinian tom(brother to Princess)

Smudge: black-and-white tom

Princess: Blue Abyssinian she-cat(sister to Rusty)


	2. Chapter 2

Redtail grimaced as he surveyed thunderclan’s camp. Water dripped frequently from the pines onto the forest floor, his fur clung to his body, and the fog was thick enough that the deputy could only see a few pawsteps ahead. Nevermind the fact that his body was wracked with coughing fits every few minutes.

He was doubtless going to hear complaints about how wet it was from the younger warriors. Not that he didn’t understand. It was just that there were more pressing matters to attend to than young cats complaining that their fur was wet.

Redtail eyed the wet rat beneath him with an unamused frown. Bluestar had just assigned a new spot for the clan’s fresh-kill pile, and now he would have to break the news that they ought to find a new one. Some cats would have to go hungry tonight. He sighed, it was in the middle of leaf-fall, too. Prey was scarce enough, but at least there were still birds out and the occasional rodent. The storm had shown no signs of returning, so the tom thought it would be best to send out a morning hunting patrol. With that in mind, he turned towards the leader’s den.

Redtail sneezed before he was able to greet her, which caused Bluestar to jerk violently backwards. He couldn’t help but laugh a little.

“I’m sorry for startling you,” he began,amused,  “but we need to send out a hunting patrol. Most of the prey in the fresh-kill pile was ruined from the rain last night. Our sick warriors will not get better if they’re weak with hunger.”

Bluestar nodded slowly, “Indeed we do. And you apology is accepted,” the blue tabby studied Redtail for a moment, “Very well then, organize the hunting patrol for the morning. Border patrol can be handled later.”

Redtail nodded, about to reply when his body shook from the effort of trying to hold back a cough. All he did was nod as he attempted to escape Bluestar’s inevitable questioning. His clan needed all the food he could get.

“Only send out Healthy cats, Redtail. That means you stay here.”

“Bluestar, I...I keep telling you that I’m fine!” He said casually, but his body betrayed him yet again, and he spent the next few moments sneezing. He ought to change his name to Runningnose, he thought.

“Yes, and I’m a mouse.”

He felt heat rise in him, and he couldn’t quite meet Bluestar’s gentle gaze. Redtail clawed at the ground, frustrated. “I can hunt. Thunderclan needs all it can get, especially now, with...with the kits.”

“You and I both know this, but you are sick, and Thunderclan also needs its deputy. Go set up the patrols, and then go see your sister about the medicine. I’m sure she’s worried about you.”

“Yes, bluestar, of course,” he responded, and about-faced to head out towards the clan’s center, “What about Dustpaw?”

“You are more than welcome to let him go on the patrol himself. Or ask another warrior with an apprentice to have them train him in a joint session. He could work on his teamwork, you’ve told me.”

Dustpaw had been a bit of a recluse ever since redtail started being his mentor, and whenever he tried to talk to dustpaw about it, all the young apprentice would do was murmur something about Ravenpaw and then quickly change the subject. Redtail would have to have a chat later; sometimes apprentices were slow to warm up to their mentors. But it was his job as Deputy to make sure that the clan was doing well, too.

Redtail’s line of thought was interrupted when he caught his sister’s affectionate, yet stern, smile. He was probably going to be spending the rest of the day in the medicine den, then. He dipped his head in reply, and turned to acknowledge Birchtail, who had just gotten out of a conversation with spottedleaf, from the sounds of it.

“Hey Birchtail, perfect timing! Are you free for a hunting patrol?”

“Of course!” the other tom responded amiably.

“Good,” Redtail said, returning the good-natured tone, “Take Darkstripe, Mousefur, and Tigerclaw with you? Try…..Snakerocks? There might be some prey sheltering there.”

“Sounds great, I’ll...go wake them now and we’ll set off.”

Redtail nodded, and made his way past Birchtail, “Don’t come back without prey in your mouths!”

He watched Birchtail and the others gather and leave the camp, and then he made his way into the medicine den, carefully maneuvering around Poppydawn. Spottedleaf acknowledged him with a flick of her ears.

“Can she get better?”

“Well...I suppose. But she barely has the energy to take these herbs. Birchtail and the others must come back with something. Or else….well..” She trailed off, and she tore her gaze away from the sick elder to meet Redtail’s sorrowful gaze.

“...Is there anything that...that I can do?” 

“Oh, my dearest brother,” Spottedleaf said, nuzzling against her brother’s forehead affectionately, “Trust me when I say that you cannot. And I need you to get better, too. So I want you to stay and rest, okay? And..There are a few things I’d like to talk to you about, anyway.”

Redtail didn’t argue, he just laid down and curled his paws underneath him, “I guess I can sit here and bother you with my incessant coughing. Get you back after that one time that you pushed me into the river,”

“That was a _joke_ , and you knew it!” Spottedleaf shot back, pushing her brother’s shoulder.

“Oh no, I’m pretty sure that you just never wanted to see me again. Obviously,” he said sarcastically, “Anyway. What do you need to chat about? Someone get into the catmint again?”

The medicine cat chuckled at that, “No. I just...I think I would like to take one of the recent apprentices under my paw. You know….Ravenpaw? He’s such a sweet little thing, and i see him pretty often because of his anxiety! I just. At the very least, I do not think Tigerclaw is the right mentor for him.” She muttered, somewhat shyly.

“I did discuss that with Bluestar,” Redtail said, shifting his weight, “but she thought that Tigerclaw could help him gain some confidence. How about this: I’ll keep an eye on him and Tigerclaw, and from there we can decide to discuss this with Bluestar.”

“Okay. Yeah, I like the sound of that,” she mewed, “I just want what’s best for every cat, you know?”

“I completely understand,” Redtail nodded, nudging his sister, “but look on the bright side despite this nasty weather. Bluestar and I have been chatting about this rather brave kittypet. He’s claimed to have had ‘dreams’ about us before. Maybe he’ll be your little underling, what do you think?”

“A kittypet? As a medicine cat? It’s...such a sacred position, i wouldn’t just let a kittypet take the position without….without moons of training, Redtail-”

“Hey, calm down. I was mostly joking, okay? But...we both were thinking about...letting this cat join. He shows promise. He’s quite a strong thing for such a young kittypet, no less. And bluestar was telling me something about how he looked like fire.”

Spottedleaf froze at that, and laughed it away, “Oh, you know bluestar, she can be poetic sometimes. But...let me know what she thinks about him. He sounds interesting!”

Redtail tilted his head at her anxious laughter. She was his sister, why wasn’t she being more open? He opened his mouth to retort, but Bluestar’s voice interrupted him.

“Redtail. I...know I told you to rest, but I need to talk to you. Important business. Please come with me to my den? Can you walk?”

“Relax, I am not an elder yet,” Redtail said nonchalantly. He let Bluestar into her den first, and then sat down in front of her, “What is it?”

“I’ve talked to Lionheart, Whitecloud and Leopardfoot about this; I want your opinion,” Bluestar began civilly, “I think I’m going to try and recruit that one kittypet-- Rusty.”

Redtail blinked, and he opened and closed his mouth a few times.

“Forgive me for this, Bluestar, but we..have enough mouths to feed. And a kittypet will be ridiculed by so much of the clan..” He could see why she would want this, but it was still quite bewildering. The clan would tear that poor kit up.

All she did was nod, “I know. But there’s something special about him, I think. Why else would he be getting dreams? About us, no less?”

“Because he’s a young kit. Do you want to hear the kind of foolish things I said when I was a kit?”

She scoffed at him, “Please, no. Trust me, I was around for that. Back on topic...Even if you are right, He has been trespassing on other clan’s territories, including ours, for the past few fortnights. Brokenstar has threatened to kill him, and i do not want that kit to see such a fate.”

“So...you want to save him?”

“I...if you want to simplify it that much...I suppose that I do. And i know he will have a rough start, but I think his life will be made easier if I mentor him. It will take time from my schedule, but that’s what you are here for. I think it would be beneficial for you, too.”

Redtail’s tail twitched, “I can’t convince you otherwise, can I?” When Bluestar averted her gaze, he sighed.

“Okay, I trust you. Do you want me to go get him?”

“No. I’m sending Leopardfoot. She...She meets pinestar sometimes, so Rusty, the kittypet, already is familiar with her. Leopardfoot is also great with children, so she will be the perfect guide for him, as well.”

Before any of them had the chance to say more, it started pouring once more, heralded by the cracking of thunder.

“Then it’s settled. Please return to Spottedleaf. Get some rest. I don’t want to see you out of there until you are well again.”

The deputy dipped his head, and padded slowly to the medicine den. He really didn’t know why Bluestar called him in for a discussion when she was already set in her ways but...he could bring that up to her later. She was right-- he needed the sleep. And spottedleaf did, too, by the looks of it. He met her sad gaze, and nodded.They would have to hold a funeral for Poppydawn soon, too. It seems that the hunting patrol he sent out simply did not get back in time. Maybe if...maybe if he had gotten up earlier. He shook his head, and made his way into his sister’s comfortable embrace. He smiled as Rosetail leaned against them as well. Poppydawn was her mother, and rosetail definitely needed all the support she could get.

Maybe Bluestar was right. Maybe thunderclan did need this strange, adventurous kittypet. Time would tell how well the young cat would fare in Thunderclan.

Redtail sighed long and hard, and let the sound of heavy rain drown of his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this sounded familiar to you, it's a modified version of the short in Warriors: Code of the clans, Where longtail goes against the warrior code by eating prey he caught instead of sharing it with the elders/kits first.
> 
> This is also why poppydawn wasn't listed in the allegiances.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thistleclaw can't believe she's done this

The rain had been dispelled, but a dismal mood hung over the clan like fog.

Poppydawn’s vigil had been stressful. Rosetail and Sandpaw grieved heavily for their fallen mother, and sandpaw had questioned spottedleaf on why the medicine cat couldn’t save her. The young apprentice threw a fit when Spottedleaf had responded that it was Poppydawn’s time to leave, and that she would be watching over the clan.

It took Whitecloud and Rosetail to calm her down, and even now when most cats were awake, there was no amiable chatter. When Sandpaw had emerged from the Apprentice’s den, she hissed at anyone who looked at her for too long. Redtail had asked Whitecloud, Rosetail, and Sandpaw to go out hunting together, to see if that couldn’t loosen some nerves.

He did understand her ire, of course. Dappletail’s death had been confusing for him, and had angered Spottedleaf, who was convinced that she could save her. It took much convincing from Pearwhisker, the previous medicine cat, to make sure that Spottedleaf would remain at her position.

Redtail was pleased with himself that he had asked Bluestar to apprentice Sandpaw to Whitecloud, instead of Falconrush. Not that he didn’t like the other tom, but Sandpaw hardly needed an outgoing mentor. To Falconrush’s credit, he was doing a great job with Stonepaw.

Redtail surveyed the clan, taking note of who was still asleep. A morning border patrol needed to be run, since the clan didn’t have enough time to cover all of Thunderclan’s borders yesterday. The clan needed some normalcy, especially when Bluestar planned on bringing in that one kittypet today.

The tortoiseshell tom hopped up on a fallen tree trunk, “I think it’s about time for a border patrol. Dustpaw, Falconrush, Stonepaw, Mousefur, please come with me. We’re heading to the sunningrocks this morning.”

Flaconrush was quick to come to Redtail’s side, “Good morning, I’m actually really glad you’re takin’ me and my sister-- We need to discuss something with you.”

“Oh, great starclan Falconrush,” Mousefur padded up, “What an introduction. How about we take care of this border patrol first,” the molly looked at her brother for a second, nudging him, “and then we can discuss this thing. You know, like i said.”

Falconrush’s tail swished from side-to-side, and he gave Stonepaw an affectionate lick when the apprentice came, “Not my fault I want to get things out of the way as fast as possible.”

“Ah, yes That’s why Bluestar gave you that name. Because you avoid procrastination like the plague. Sometimes it just makes sense to, I don’t know, wait, brother?”

“All right, all right,” Redtail intervened, mostly jovially, “Enough bickering- although i do agree it’s best to handle this when we get back. Best to focus on our jobs. Stonepaw, where is Dustpaw?”

The fawn tabby looked over his shoulder and stalled for a moment before answering, “With Ravenpaw and Tigerclaw. I’ll go get him for you!”

“I’m sorry,” Dustpaw said when he got to the Deputy’s side, “Ravenpaw was just nervous and...and I didn’t want to leave him.”

 “You’re okay, Dustpaw,” Redtail smiled, “you’re not in any trouble, and I appreciate your commitment to your brother. Fuzzypelt and Robinwing constantly tell me how proud of you they are.” With that said, he beckoned for the group to leave.

Dustpaw seemed to perk up with Redtail’s comment, and he bounded a few steps ahead of the group, even daring Stonepaw to a race. With the excited apprentices in tow, it didn’t take too long to get to the Sunningrocks.

The sunningrocks were likely the most highly contested portion of territory. Riverclan cats used them as sacred grounds, and to sunbathe. Thunderclan used them strictly for hunting, and as of right now, Redtail was glad for it. He hated depriving Riverclan of a religious site, but times were hard, and fish were plentiful still. It was dangerous to be here alone, but also incredibly beautiful. The river provided constant calming drone, and more often than not, wind blew gently through the area. But...there was the constant threat of a riverclan invasion.

Part of him wondered if this kittypet would actually do something for the clan. If he turned out to be loyal like everyone else, then Redtail would have no issue. Thunderclan hadn’t had an outsider join the clan in any cats’ recent memories. Redtail was worried about the divide it might create. Redtail’s becoming a deputy created enough of a stir- he had never been as strong as his clanmates, and everyone towered over him, except maybe Tigerclaw and obviously the kits.

“Redtail, Look what I’ve got!” Dustpaw interrupted his mentor’s chain on though, his voice muffled.

He blinked, and turned around to heed his apprentice, and his face lit up, “A blackbird! That’s fantastic.”

“Yeah!” Dustpaw replied, setting the dead bird on the ground, “I know it’s a border patrol, but it was _right there.”_ the tabby sat on his haunches and spread his paws out slightly to exaggerate, “Stonepaw helped me too, didn’t you, stonepaw?”

The fawn tabby’s fur was ruffled, and he didn’t immediately reply to his friend, “Oh...yeah, I did. Dustpaw did most of the work, though. But, uh...Redtail, there’s been riverclan cats here recently.”

“I would say not too short of last night,” Falconrush added, sitting next to Redtail, “Should we confront Crookedstar?”

Mousefur butted in, “Oh please, don’t be a mousebrain. Riverclan would deny those accusations even if they were standing here right now. Let’s just go back and tell Bluestar!”

Redtail tilted his head from side-to-side, considering. He could probably talk it out with the Riverclan leader. He was known for his even-temperedness, and for his open mind. But with sunningrocks’ in thunderclan’s paws now, he knew that it was a risky move to bring his patrol over there, and then accuse them of crossing the border. Then again...Bluestar was on a pretty friendly basis with Crookedstar…

“Mark the area again, and let’s report this directly to Bluestar. How many cats do you think it was?”

“About...a pawful, I’d say. Not enough to outnumber us right now,” Falconrush stated, glancing between the river and redtail a few times.

Redtail met his gaze, and then nodded to Mousefur, “All right then. I certainly don’t want to start more battles with Riverclan especially when we’re low on food as is. Let’s go. Dustpaw, don’t forget your blackbird.”

“You’ve been training him to hunt well, I see,” Falconrush commented to redtail when the group got moving back towards camp, “It reflects well on you.”

“Oi, you two, when will be expecting kits, then?” Mousefur jibed.

“When we’re both dead,” Falconrush quipped back, smirking at the two apprentices who had broken into laughter. The tom nudged Redtail playfully.

Redtail’s ears twitched, and a small feeling of heat grew beneath his mottled fur. He wasn’t quite sure about who he was into- toms or mollies, but he wasn’t sure if that was particularly important, especially when his job was about to get a whole lot harder. But nonetheless, he would always consider both Falconrush and Mousefur his friends. He’d had a small crush on Brindleface shortly after he became a warrior, so maybe it was just mollies? Redtail shook his head. Shame on him for getting distracted.

When they arrived back at camp, they were surrounded by noise. No-one looked back at them, and there was a lot of yelling about something that Redtail couldn’t quite discern. Redtail quickly asked his group to disperse, and bounded up to the highstones where Bluestar, Leopardfoot, and a small ruddy cat were gathered.

“Bluestar, I thought you would bring him in when-”

“I was planning to. Leopardfoot was having a chat with one of the kittypets, but she was rudely interrupted when Brokenstar threatened to kill both her and this young cat here.”

Leopardfoot nodded, and gently groomed the other cat’s forehead fur, “Perhaps it was foolish of me, but the warrior code says to protect kits, and I wasn’t going to let him kill the poor thing, and I wasn’t just going to let him threaten me, either. Though, I am curious as to why he was out completely alone.”

Redtail blinked, and opened and closed his mouth a few times. His head turned to meet the hazel gaze of the newcomer. He suppose he did look like fire in cat form, if you squinted. It was hard to really get a read on him.

“So, I apprenticed him to Goldenflower, and-” Bluestar spoke calmly at first, but glared down at the cat who had the gall to interrupt her.

“That cat isn’t even clan-born!” Thistleclaw hissed, “and you think Goldenflower can mentor him?”

“Thistleclaw, may I remind you that some she-cats have had kits sired by rogues? I never see you comment on them.”

“He doesn’t have any clan blood! He won’t survive a day here! Bluestar, please, we have enough mouths to feed,” Sandpaw spoke up, sending a glare towards the kittypet. Thistleclaw merely hissed a response back to his leader.

“Perhaps he will, perhaps he will not. But I am not going to neglect a kit. Go on, Firepaw, greet your mentor. You have a lot of learning to do.”

Firepaw’s gaze lingered on Redtail for a moment, but it seemed to go through him. It unnerved the deputy that the first thing the young cat did was frown at him. Before he had a chance to respond, the ruddy tom leaped off the highstones and brushed against Goldenflower, like he was greeting an old friend. The golden molly laughed, and turned firepaw around so she could touch noses with him, like tradition had stated.

“Bluestar, I thought you would mentor him,” Redtail whispered.

“I thought against it. I trust Goldenflower, and she has yet to have an apprentice. She is caring and fairly open to the idea of outsiders entering the clan. I asked her beforehand if she would be all right with it. But, if I must, I will apprentice him,” Bluestar responded mildly, and then raised her voice to announce: “Thunderclan, the clan meeting is over. Return to your duties.”

Redtail watched the crowd disperse and the noise die down slowly. The apprentices stayed where they were, especially the siblings. Eventually though, Only Goldenflower, Firepaw, and Thistleclaw remained.

“All right, kit, How about we have your first lesson now?” He didn’t give the smaller tom time to answer, but launched himself at him instead. The pair went tumbling across the clearing, and Goldenflower’s call for Spottedleaf split the air like lightning.

Spottedleaf job, however, was not to split up fighting cats-- her job was to heal them, so all she could do was gather what herbs she assumed she needed, and gestured for Goldenflower to split them up.

“Thistleclaw, leave him alone,” Tigerclaw spoke suddenly, his chest puffed out. He looked like a bird who had very large visions of grandeur.

The grey tabby dropped the young apprentice, who was now covered in bleeding bite marks and scratches. Oddly enough, they weren’t deep enough for the cat to bleed out from.

“Ah, Tigerclaw. Shame on you for getting _so_ weak, hm? I don’t think I taught my apprentice to be _weak_ , did I?”

That comment cut right through Tigerclaw, and the small tabby seemed to retreat within himself for a few seconds until he lashed his tail, “No, you didn’t. That’s why I’m standing up for this young cat. Like my mother said I should do. Let him go; Hasn’t he been through enough?”

“Enough, please settle down, everyone-” Redtail called through the tense moment of silence, but neither of them seemed to listen. Great Starclan, He still had to speak with Mousefur and Falconrush after this.

“Redtail, understand that I am merely helping this kit learn,” Thistleclaw responded, his voice smooth and slick, “He must learn how to fight.”

Goldenflower sprang to firepaw’s aid, filling in the gap between Firepaw and his assailant, “and I will do that for him. You are giving a very poor impression of Thunderclan, Thistleclaw. Please, we value your strength, but there is a time and place to use it.”

Thistleclaw hissed, but relented, and sheathed his claws. His cold gaze shifted from Firepaw, to Tigerclaw, to Redtail, “Very well, then. Firepaw will never last long if you don’t let him experience the harshness of life, Goldenflower. And Tigerclaw, perhaps you need another lesson on how to be strong, as well,” He grinned when his former apprentice flinched away, and he pressed on to enter the warriors’ den.

Redtail let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, and focused on watching his sister tend to firepaw’s wounds, for a moment. He shifted his focus when he caught tigerclaw looking at him, worriedly. The deputy tilted his head, but all tigerclaw did was huff angrily and say something to Goldenflower.

He laughed to himself when he caught sight of Firepaw’s old collar, torn off and beaten by Thistleclaw. His fur rippled when he felt Bluestar pressed up against him.

“This was the right decision,” the blue tabby said solemnly, “Starclan has spoken to me, the collar shows it.”

All redtail did was nod. Inside, he felt like a storm was brewing within him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> discourse in the sunningrocks fandom

The next week passed so quickly that Redtail barely had time to do anything for himself. He didn’t mind the work, but when your leader was asking you to settle a dispute, several borders issues, and training sessions, your patience could only last for so long.

At the very least, they had enough prey to feed most cats. Some warriors, including him, had to skip out on some meals. He was happy, so long as the kits, queens, and elders were fed. It saddened him to no end that there were warriors who went against this idea, and this ended up costing Poppydawn her life.

Shortly after Firepaw’s entry into the clan, Redtail had gone to talk with Falconrush and Mousefur. According to Mousefur, she had seen both Birchtail and Darkstripe eat the prey they caught for the clan. When Redtail asked for Darkstripe’s explanation, the sleek black tabby explained that Birchtail coerced him into going against the warrior code, and that Birchtail would either hurt him or force the clan against him should Darkstripe point this out to anyone. He was especially melancholy when he asked for forgiveness from Starclan and Redtail.

Redtail wasn’t quite convinced with the explanation, however. He excused himself and his friends, and had asked Falconrush to talk to Birchtail. The two toms were friends, and Redtail didn’t want to intimidate the younger warrior. Not that Redtail would necessarily be able to, considering he was the smallest Thunderclan warrior, but his status alone got most cats to listen to him unquestioned. He would push if he ought to, but not until every other option was dried up.

He had been slightly aggravated when Falconrush reported back to him to add that Birchtail apparently did not force Darkstripe to go against the warrior code, and instead pleaded that the reverse was true.

It sounded a lot like two kits bickering and blaming each other for something benign, except this time there was a dead cat involved.

 

It was a lot less like bickering kits.

Notwithstanding the issues with Darkstripe and Birchtail, the clan carried on like normal. Redtail woke up early to assess repairs that might need to be done to the camp, and think about patrols. Then, inevitably, Bluestar would tell him what kind of patrol to send, and he would also help train Dustpaw with some of the other apprentices in tow. It was a comfortable routine, if rather stagnant. No border skirmishes had really popped up besides baseless accusations of trespassing.  

The next cats to rise were Goldenflower and Firepaw, much to Redtail’s surprise. He greeted the both of them with a dip of his head, and watched with mild interest when he saw the ruddy tom whisper something to Goldenflower.

She smiled at him, “He is our deputy. He assigns patrols, and assists in leading...He’s like...an apprentice leader?” Goldenflower fumbled through her sentence, but smiled when firepaw mouthed an ‘oh’.

“One day you could be deputy, if you’ve the skills,” Redtail added in, taking this time to observe the young apprentice further. He was an elegant thing, and he would likely grow to be…’pretty’ when he was promoted to warrior status. Firepaw certainly didn’t fit the muscular and stocky type right now.

“And Redtail is a perfect example of the fact that Deputies aren’t always, and don’t always, have to be the strongest cat in their clan. In many situations, perhaps diplomacy is a better choice than might,” Goldenflower added quickly, prodding her apprentice when he wasn’t paying attention; Firepaw’s gaze was drawn towards the clan entrance.

“Can’t I go outside to see the other clans, now?”

“At the gathering, to which goldenflower will decide if you go,” Redtail said, “It is simply too dangerous for a cat of your size and experience, or rather inexperience. Outside of the gathering you will likely meet the other clan cats in battle only.”

“That’s foolish,” Firepaw said quizzically, “Why not share your territories instead? Then you would have enough food to go around.”

“Well, each clan has one leader, and none of the four particularly appreciate sharing. They each have their own culture and the desire to keep it separate...while it might make things easier in the short term,” Goldenflower answered after a tense silence, “It would only result in spilled blood and shattered families in the long term. But Enough about the other clans- come with me to the Sandy hollow. It’s time to start learning how to fight, Firepaw.”

Redtail pressed his forehead to hers in a show of respect and admiration, “Goldenflower, I hate to be a bother, but why not fetch Lionheart and Greypaw, so that Firepaw might have practice with others, too?” He smiled at her when she nodded, and watched in surprise at how quickly she was able to call upon her brother and his apprentice. They moved with incredible alacrity, given the time of day.

Redtail surprised himself when he didn’t startle when a paw was placed on his shoulder. The tortoiseshell tom looked over, and his gaze found Tigerclaw’s. The young tabby seemed almost...guilty. He could not pinpoint if it was shyness or shame, but given Tigerclaw’s usual confidence, redtail doubted that it was any large amount of guilt.

“Redtail. Hi,” Tigerclaw corrected his gaze to seem more deadpan, and sat down to curl his plumy tail around his paws, “Come train with me and Ravenpaw, and bring Dustpaw. Snakerocks sound fine?”

Redtail’s fur rippled at how forceful tigerclaw was with his words, but he wasn’t that surprised at Tigerclaw’s commandeering tone. Leopardfoot had somewhat spoiled him, especially after Pinestar left, because he was her only surviving child. It still wasn’t particularly comfortable to hear, especially when he was deputy.

“Tigerclaw, Of course I will but,” Redtail turned around to look him in the eyes, “For future reference, I would suggest not...demanding things to be done from your higher-ups.”

The two toms stood there, staring at each other for several moments. Something about it made Redtail uncomfortable, despite Tigerclaw being one of the few cats who was around his size.

“My apologies- Thistleclaw just-” Tigerclaw

“I’m well aware of how Thistleclaw taught you to act. And I’m sorry I wasn’t there to say something to him. And I think Snakerocks is a bit too dangerous for them, Tigerclaw.”

Dustpaw seemed to materialize out of nowhere, stumbling into Redtail’s side after Sandpaw dodged his play-pounce, “I think we’re ready to train at snakerocks, Redtail! We’re almost warriors, right, Ravenpaw?”

The small black tabby shrunk in on himself, and glanced from his brother to Tigerclaw, “if...if you say so. I mean, I’m not going to force you, Redtail, but-”

“He caught an adder the other day! I’d like to see that kittypet do that!”

Redtail sent a firm look towards his apprentice, but dipped his head in regards to Ravenpaw’s  achievements, “Enough Dustpaw, ridiculing Firepaw was unnecessary. But perhaps….we could go to snakerocks. If any of you get injured, we are heading back. Come on, then.” He beckoned for the two apprentices and Tigerclaw to follow his lead, and began bounding off into the forest. Redtail was hoping maybe Dustpaw would have a point proven to him that everyone had weaknesses, and even the former kittypet had some strengths, which surely would grow with his training.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Tigerclaw hissed, mainly for Ravenpaw to hear. All the apprentice did was slow down a bit, to fall in slightly behind the rest of the group. Redtail only really noticed when he heard the apprentice hiss something under his breath.

“What did you say, Ravenpaw?” Tigerclaw stopped abruptly, causing Ravenpaw to stumble against his mentor’s flank.

“I...I said nothing. Honest,” Ravenpaw murmured, his gaze slowly lifting to meet tigerclaw’s hardened eyes.

“Then you’d better keep your jaws _shut_ next time. I’m in charge of you, do you understand?”

Redtail stopped, and lashed his tail, “Tigerclaw, leave him alone, now. Ravenpaw is allowed to speak his mind, and go easy on him. They are both young yet, and have a lot to learn. Nothing wrong with doing ‘anything stupid’ the first few times. They are apprentices, aren’t they?” As an act of solidarity, the deputy place himself between Tigerclaw and his apprentice. If only Tigerclaw had a less overbearing mentor, then maybe Ravenpaw would be better off. This wasn’t fair to either of them, especially Ravenpaw.

“Yes, Redtail, but-”

“Let him be an apprentice. He is not supposed to be a senior warrior in a day. May I remind you that you and I have both made plenty of foolish mistakes in our youth? Instead of berating Ravenpaw, how about you give him actual advice? He won’t get anywhere if you only insult him. And if you do keep this behavior up, Tigerclaw, I will ask Bluestar to assign him to another warrior. Do you Understand me?”

Tigerclaw hesitated, and then dipped his head, “Yes. Of course, my apologies. I’ll...I’ll try to avoid it in the future.”

“Good,” Redtail said simply, and after a few moments of silence the group arrived at the snakerocks, still slick from the rain a few days ago.

The amount of cloud cover cast the area in shadow, and though it was only past noon, the forest floor looked as if the sun were setting. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust from the lack of much light, and when they did, he turned around to face Dustpaw, who looked up at him curiously.

“All right, this is as good a place as any. Dustpaw, get a bit closer to me, and then face your brother. I want to see how well you do in a mock fight. No claws out, remember.”

Dustpaw was quick to lower himself into a crouch, but Ravenpaw hesitated several times before mimicking his brother. When Tigerclaw gave the signal, Dustpaw leaped decisively, but Ravenpaw staggered to the left, and lost his balance. It didn’t take too long before Dustpaw had him pinned lightly to the ground.

“All right,” Redtail meowed, “That wasn’t bad. Ravenpaw, your idea to dodge was good, but you need to be more wary of your balance. Dustpaw, you hesitated a bit too long before you had Ravenpaw. Try it again. Feel free to mix up your movements.”

This time, Dustpaw rushed forward at Ravenpaw, catching him off-guard. The two apprentices tumbled in the ground for a while, trying to free their limbs. Despite the serious nature of training, Dustpaw was laughing as he emerged on top, his fur covered in grass and dirt.

“I win!” Dustpaw shouted, keeping Ravenpaw’s forepaws to the ground, “did you see me, Redtail?”

“Good job, both of you, but who said anything about winning? Keep going.”

Ravenpaw seemed to take the hint, and while he couldn’t free his front legs, he moved his back legs to kick Dustpaw off of him at such a speed that Redtail didn’t think he had time to blink. Both apprentices squeaked in surprise, and Ravenpaw, at a loss for what to do next, looked at tigerclaw.

“Don’t just _stand_ there like a piece of prey, fight back!” Tigerclaw snapped, causing his apprentice to press himself to the ground and quiver.

“I’m _trying_ ,” he muttered in response

“Then get up and fight! How do you expect to be a warrior if you cower all the time? You’re already small enough, but that doesn’t mean you have to act like it!” This caused Ravenpaw to turn his gaze away, and glue it to his paws. The black tom looked like he was about to start sniffling.

Redtail had been watching the two of them for some time, hoping that Tigerclaw would drop the subject or encourage Ravenpaw on, but he supposed that would have to happen on a later date. The deputy sighed, causing both of the apprentices to look at him.

“Ravenpaw, let me tell you something,” Redtail mewed, making his way over to the younger cat and lying down next to him, “I was the smallest one in my litter. Nobody thought I would live much longer after I was born. Sound familiar?”

Ravenpaw nodded slowly, and Tigerclaw averted his gaze. Redtail almost winced, forgetting for a moment that Tigerclaw had gone through this exact situation as well.

“But I lived, okay? Toms like me, the tortoiseshell ones, and generally weaker than their family members; I was still made an apprentice, and after much hard work and frustration, I made it. Being a warrior has less to do with size and intimidation than you think it might,” He rested his chin on Ravenpaw’s shoulders, and began to purr gently, “and look where I am now. Trust me when I say that you are not far behind your brother, and you have a kind, gentle heart, which we are all grateful for. I think it’s time to head back, though. Been stressful, huh?”

“But I was having fun!” Dustpaw whined lightly, but obeyed as Redtail rose from the ground and gestured for Tigerclaw to lead them back home. He held the black tabby’s slightly miffed gaze until he began walking.

He didn’t know what the tom’s problem was, and why he seemed so bent on having Ravenpaw fear him. Admittedly, Redtail had not paid too much attention to his upbringing even when they had both been apprentices together. Tigerclaw had seemed to enjoy Thistleclaw despite the older warrior being so outwardly angry since the death of his mate.

He wasn’t sure if that was the reason why Tigerclaw was like this. Leopardfoot had also coddled him, and maybe that lead to some sort of entitlement. Redtail could also see it being a lack of a father figure in his life, even if Thistleclaw had somewhat taken that role, especially when Bluestar had given Thistleclaw’s son Whitekit, now whitecloud, to Leopardfoot to raise.

Maybe it was just the tom’s personality. Some cats were just...like that.

It did not excuse his behavior towards Ravenpaw, though. He would have to discuss maybe moving Ravenpaw to a new mentor with Bluestar. He needed someone more patient. Spottedleaf had said something about maybe taking him as an apprentice, too. Although the deputy did not know if Ravenpaw even had an interest in medicine and interpreting omens.

The group slid through the brambles protecting the entrance, and they dispersed in different directions. Redtail sighed as he watched Ravenpaw slip into the medicine den, but Redtail smiled at Spottedleaf when she nodded at him. She really had such an enjoyment for her position.

Redtail meowed a greeting to Falconrush and Robinwing as he made his way towards the leader’s den. Bluestar must have assigned them as sentries for the afternoon. He dipped his head to Leopardfoot, who was busy entertaining her apprentice by allowing Mistpaw to play with the warrior’s tail. It amused him that even apprentices could be so kit-like in behavior, but that was something the clan needed.

“Bluestar, may I speak with you for a moment?” Redtail asked hesitantly as he sat across from her bed, “About Ravenpaw, and Tigerclaw.”

Bluestar frowned at him, “What happened? Did the training session you had go okay?”

Redtail’s whiskers twitched, assuming that maybe one of the apprentices let Bluestar know of their whereabouts. Not that it mattered to him too much. “I’m worried about how Tigerclaw’s attitude is affecting Ravenpaw. He’s quite aggressive towards him, even when Ravenpaw does well. I just...don’t think that it will be good for either of them to be together.”

“I had apprenticed Ravenpaw to Tigerclaw in hopes that Ravenpaw would gain confidence in himself,” Bluestar mewed evenly, “but you are saying that I am mistaken?”

“Well, whatever confidence Ravenpaw gains, Tigerclaw breaks. He actively puts Ravenpaw down, Bluestar. Ravenpaw is not the right apprentice for Tigerclaw, nor is Tigerclaw a good mentor to Ravenpaw. I think it would be best if Ravenpaw went to a warrior like Willowpelt or Rosetail. And my sister is also interested in taking an apprentice.”

“I see,” Bluestar said slowly, standing up now, “I suppose it would be beneficial for Spottedleaf to gain an apprentice. Thank you, Redtail, I’ll discuss this with both of them, and with Tigerclaw. You are dismissed.”

Redtail dipped his head, and emerged from the leader’s den, only to be nearly pounced on by a panicked Darkstripe.

“Redtail, thank starclan, Please- we need help- A riverclan patrol found us at Sunningrocks- we need help! They ambushed the patrol!”

Redtail’s fur rippled and he struggled to process the amount of information just hurled at him. “Who was on the patrol? How many riverclan warriors?” Bluestar must have heard them as well, as she leaped on the highrock, and began to speak.

“Thunderclan, some of our warriors have been ambushed by Riverclan. Darkstripe, you are injured, so you stay here. Redtail, take your apprentice and Leopardfoot, Tigerclaw, Fuzzypelt, and Lionheart. Quickly!”

Redtail nodded, waiting for the warriors, and apprentice, assigned to him to gather before the group ran across the forest floor as fast as they could muster. He had very little details given to him, and Darkstripe didn’t even answer his questions; That didn’t matter now- he had to protect his clan! When they arrived to sunningrocks, it was chaos.

For one, their original patrol only had Darkstripe, Thistleclaw, Goldenflower and Firepaw. While all three warriors were trained well in fighting, they were severely outmatched. Riverclan sent a considerable ambush patrol to fight for sunningrocks; Redtail counted what had to be at least half of Riverclan’s current roster of warriors in the patrol: Breamheart, Skyheart, Blackclaw, Leopardfur, Reedtail and his apprentice, and Carpfang. At once, Redtail ordered his group to split in half, and try to separate some riverclan cats that way. With a cry, the thunderclan deputy plunged into the frey, Dustpaw at his side.

“Thistleclaw, what in Starclan’s name happened?” Redtail hissed when he had dodged the strike of the riverclan apprentice. He lingered near the large thunderclan warrior, aiding him in his task to fight breamheart. The riverclan deputy was significantly heavier than he was, but Redtail was quicker.

“Didn’t darkstripe tell you? They ambushed us when we were on the way to remark the border!” Thistleclaw hissed, grunting as Breamheart pushed him backwards.

“You are the ones who attacked us!” Breamheart countered, pivoting around to face Redtail and glare into his eyes, “You lot must have bees in your brains! You seriously think your measly patrol could take us?”

“I am not the one who ordered any of this to happen,” Redtail hissed back, pouncing upon Breamheart’s back and digging his claws into whatever skin he could grab. He closed his eyes as the world spun around him, and before he could react he was thrown into the gravel.

“That is not my problem, then, is it?” Breamheart muttered as he sprung closer to the thunderclan deputy, eventually throwing himself at the smaller tom and pinning him down. Redtail tried to use his hind feet to push the cat away, but only succeeded in making minor scratches. Mousedung.

“I would think that it is, since your warriors are getting injured,” Redtail answered, wrenching his front paw free and reaching up to scratch at Breamheart’s eyes, and used the time he had to skitter away.

Redtail stepped backwards to observe the crowd around him for a moment. Dustpaw and that one riverclan apprentice were fighting each other, Leopardfoot and Lionheart were together fighting three other riverclan warriors. Thistleclaw was moving through the crowd, and Redtail couldn’t quite see Fuzzypelt among the warriors, what with the amount of activity.

It wasn’t fair for anyone to keep this fight going. They would have to lose sunningrocks for now.

“Thunderclan, retreat!” Redtail’s cry split the air, and thunderclan warriors wormed their way out of Riverclan’s grasp to safety. Redtail bounded up the hill as fast as his legs could carry him, barely escaping Breamheart’s grasp.

“Is everyone here?” Redtail panted, shifting his weight. His shoulders were going to kill him tomorrow. Immediately he counted Dustpaw, Leopardfoot, Lionheart and his sister, Firepaw…

“There’s Thistleclaw!” Leopardfoot called out, gesturing her head in his direction. Leopardfoot had escaped quite a bit of injuries, given that she was one of Thunderclan’s largest warriors. Most cats avoided her in a fight.

“Where’s Fuzzypelt?” Dustpaw mewed quietly as the Senior warrior limped their way back to the group. He looked from Redtail to Thistleclaw beseechingly, “Is he still back there? Please, he’s my father, I gotta go...gotta go and get him back!”

Leopardfoot gently stepped in front of the apprentice, resting her head of his shoulder, purring gently, “Dustpaw, ssh, lay down now. Stay with me, okay?”

“No!” he cried, but didn’t protest, “Where...where is my father?” His body shook as he had to force the question out.

“One of the Riverclan warriors pushed him into the river,” Thistleclaw stated bluntly, “I suppose they would stoop so low as to abandon their morals and fatally wound a warrior.”

Redtail glared at the senior warrior, “Did you find his body? We must hold a vigil for him.”

“If I had found it, don’t you think I would have told you?”

Firepaw padded over to Dustpaw,and curled up next to him, “Now is not the time to argue. Dustpaw and Ravenpaw lost their father...I….I can’t imagine what that’s like, Dustpaw. I’m so sorry.”

“Can...can we go home, I...have to tell Ravenpaw. And Robinwing. I’m holding a vigil for him anyway. He deserves it,” the young tom rose to his feet slowly, dipping his head to leopardfoot and firepaw, and started slowly making his way back to camp. Redtail sighed, and padded after him.

“Goldenflower, Lionheart...please see if you can’t find any signs of Fuzzypelt’s whereabouts. No warrior deserves to die without a proper vigil.”

“Of course, Redtail. Let us know if there is anything at all we can do for Dustpaw.”

Redtail smiled at them solemnly, and nodded. Eventually, he found his way to Dustpaw’s side, the other patrol members flanking them. “Dustpaw, you are allowed to sleep next to your mother for however long you need to. So is Ravenpaw.”

Dustpaw took a moment to glance at his mentor, “...but Bluestar-”

“I will deal with her. Your happiness and stability is more important right now. No training session tomorrow, either. Go on ahead,” Redtail said as they made their way once more into camp, “I will notify Bluestar. She’ll call a clan meeting. You don’t have to go.”

He motioned for the group to gather beneath the highrocks, and he rested his tailtip on Dustpaw’s shoulders for a few seconds to give him some semblance of reassurance. It broke him to watch Dustpaw practically crawl over to his mother and start bawling into her chest when she herself had little idea of what was going on.

“Bluestar,” Redtail whispered as he walked over, “We fought as best we could but...we lost sunningrocks. And Fuzzypelt...they’ve killed him. He was pushed into the river, I think. Goldenflower and Lionheart are looking for his body.”

Bluestar gave him a stunned look, before hissing something under her breath and scratching at the ground. “Very well then. I’ll let the clan know. Thank you, Redtail.”

Most of the clan didn’t have to be gathered, since many cats were up by now and attending to personal duties. Bluestar’s amber gaze swept across the clearing, and settled on Dustpaw and his family, “Thunderclan, please, gather beneath the highrock,” her voice was much less demanding, and more frustrated and taut, “Tonight we will honor the loss and life of Fuzzypelt. He helped our warriors when they were in danger, and now he watches over us from starclan.”

The clan was silent, and only the distant crying of Robinwing’s children could be heard. Robingwing herself had her eyes closed shut, her face press against the shoulders of her two sons as if to keep them from slipping away.

“He was one of thunderclan’s best warriors when i was an apprentice, and was a steady presence in thunderclan. He was a great father, and amazing friend. We will miss him dearly, and I implore for everyone to please leave Robinwing and her family to grieve before approaching them. This is a tough time for everyone.”

Redtail turned his head to face Bluestar as she bounded off the side of the highstones and laid next to him. The two sat in tense silence for a long time, watching the sun slowly sink under the horizon and cast the forest floor in red light.

The sad looks that Goldenflower and Lionheart gave him when they entered the clan did not bolster his hope.

“I will hold vigil for Fuzzypelt along with his family tonight,” Redtail mewed, “It is the least I can do for my apprentice.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Black, Blacker, Blackest

When Redtail opened his eyes, he was in a dark place. He couldn’t see anything, not even himself; He tried waving his paw in front of him, but that yielded a total of zero results. Well, now everyone in the warriors’ den would think he was crazy, and now he was also blind. He wasn’t even old! Redtail lashed his tail, and hissed at himself.

To his surprise, the sound echoed. Redtail took a step backwards, bewildered. The den definitely didn’t allow for echoes. Just to make sure that this was the real world and not some cryptic joke, the deputy stepped back the distance he knew would cause him to touch Falconrush’s nest, since their nests were adjacent. Nope, no cat body, no nest.

Suddenly, everything came into being. He was in the forest, with tall pine trees looming around him and his clan. Although he found it odd that there was snow on the ground, because Redtail could have sworn to Starclan that it was still leaf-fall.

He could see a ring of cats gathered, although he couldn’t identify any one of them except for...Flamestar. Every cat was blurry and oddly wispy, like he was underwater and looking at cats on the surface. Redtail wrinkled his nose and pressed forward, sitting down next to one of the strange figures. He wanted to jump out of his skin when the figure turned to look at him, but she seemed presumably happy when she spoke. He could recognize the voice anywhere- Spottedleaf, although decidedly younger- but he couldn’t make out what was being said. Spotted _paw_ then repeated herself, nudging Redtail on his shoulder. All the deputy could bring himself to do was nod slowly. What did he just agree to?

He turned his head back around to look up at Flamestar, who must’ve called for two of the young cats to come forward. So this had to be a ceremony. He could now identify Whitekit and Tigerkit. Redtail cocked his head a little to see the cat that both Tigerkit and Whitekit had walked away from, and noted that she sat up a little straighter. Redtail felt compelled to smile at the sight of it. Redtail watched the two kits, now apprentices, walk away to their mentors: Thistleclaw and Fuzzypelt, respectively. Redtail studied Tigerpaw for some time, but turned away when he noticed Tigerpaw turning to look at him.

Then everything was dark red- the color of dried blood, and this time Redtail could only see the blurry pitch-black outline of one cat. The cat wasn’t much bigger than he was, which Redtail found odd since there were so few solid black cats around. Ravenpaw...Fuzzypelt? Was this Fuzzypelt?

Redtail took a step forward and called, “Fuzzypelt, is that...you?” Please let this be a joke. He didn’t want to be involved in something so high-stakes for Thunderclan.

The figure did not answer, and suddenly all Redtail could feel was _pain_. It was enough to bring him to the ground, which was mildly unsettling. To make it worse, thorns, vines, and thistles sprouted from the dark red void to cling to his body, to the distorted dark figure ahead of him, and to a few other faded cats that Redtail now noticed; Then there was the deafening sound of yowling and cats’ screams.

Redtail’s breath quickened, to the point where he couldn't focus on anything else. He wanted it to _end_ , why couldn’t this just _stop_? The tortoiseshell deputy squeezed his eyes shut, finally slowing his breath. Redtail, although he still couldn’t move, managed to bring his gaze back towards the shadowy figure, and for the first time the deputy notice how….sad the other cat looked. Its ears were back, and the stark white eyes were averted from Redtail.

“Help me,” it said, softly.

“Wh...who are you?” Redtail rasped back, “I can help you, just...I don’t know what’s going on?!” He barely had an idea of why he was bleeding so much!

“He promised to all of us; that he would protect us, guide us, care for _us_.” The voice was hard for Redtail to register, it had to be mixed with at least 5 other voices. He wasn’t even sure if that’s what they were saying, for starclan’s sake.

“Tell me what’s going on,” Redtail answered weakly, pressing his forehead against the blood-red ground.

“ _All_ he speaks is lies!” All of the voices shouted together, and suddenly a tower of water, dyed red with blood, rose above them both, cascading over the shadow figure first, causing it to dissipate.

Redtail didn’t even have a chance to scream before he was flooded with the sick mix of water and cats’ blood. He flailed his limbs around, and thought darkly that maybe he wouldn’t die today if he had just been born in Riverclan. He span around recklessly in the water, his claws searching for something to hold on to. Redtail couldn’t see anything; there was no light, no fish, no _anything_. Redtail found himself gasping for breath only to inhale this twisted water, and once again his body was wracked with pain.

“Redtail,” a voice called. Redtail thrashed his body towards the voice, but apparently starclan decided to have him weigh as much as a tree.

“ _Redtail_!”

“I can't move! I think I'm drowning!” Redtail hissed, but his lungs burned and the words instead came out distorted.

Then, suddenly, Redtail could see beyond the sea of flowing death. There was another cat looking up at him, and he actually looked real. Redtail only tilted his head slowly to the side. It was a black tabby, lean, kinda skinny...great starclan- It was Falconrush. The deputy felt heat gather under his fur.

“Are you all right? You were practically screaming! You woke up Leopardfoot, too….and what was that about the drowning?”

“Did I say that out loud?” Redtail murmured blearily, briefly turning to regard Leopardfoot, whose eyes were about as wide as any owls’.

“You did, dear,” Leopardfoot began, “you woke Falconrush with all of your movement, and then you started...yowling, almost. We thought you were seizing!”

“No, no, I’m okay. I promise,” Redtail assured them, blinking away the sleep and that dank nightmare, “Just...a dream. There was a lot of...shouting involved. And water.” and plants and thorns..

“Redtail,” Falconrush whispered sternly, so as to not wake any of their denmates, “Dreams mean things, remember, mousebrain? Please go talk to spottedleaf, okay? I don’t think drowning in a dream is to be ignored.”

Redtail rose slowly, leaning on Leopardfoot and Falconrush for support. He was dizzy, even if he felt okay overall. It was just...bewildering, having a potential prophecy delivered to you, only for you to die gruesomely at the end of it. Starclan didn’t play around. Part of him felt compelled to keep it to himself, so that his sister wouldn’t worry about his safety, but..

But Thunderclan might need that information; His clan did come first. Redtail nodded briefly to Leopardfoot and Falconrush and told them quietly to return to sleep. With newfound purpose, even if it made Redtail uneasy, he made it over to his sister’s den, and gently prodded her with his paw.

“Spottedleaf, please, it’s important,” Redtail said when Spottedleaf woke with a worried look in her eyes, “I had a dream? I think Starclan may be involved, but I have no idea what to make of it.”

Spottedleaf shot straight to her paws so fast, that Redtail barely registered the movement. She looked towards the night sky for a brief moment, and focused back on him with a warm smile. “Okay, I’m ready when you are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the late update for this. I had a lot to focus on in regards to schooling, but i'm proud to announce that I graduated high school a few days ago! So while this is a short chapter, I hope you enjoy it. Next one should be comin' at you next week.
> 
> Also, Flamestar is the equivalent of Sunstar. Didn't like the name, so i Axed it :)


	6. Chapter 6

The two siblings sat in silence for quite some time, broken only by their quiet breathing and the shifting of feet. Redtail never knew his sister to be so...so quiet. She was always open for conversation, and, until now, nothing broke her optimism and joy for life. She wouldn’t meet his gaze, no matter how many times Redtail moved to try and force her to.

“Please talk to me,” Redtail mewed, “What am I supposed to do?”

“I...I don’t know. It all sounded like you were the bystander to this event, Redtail...and then you just...died.” Spottedleaf replied solemnly, finally removing her gaze from the ground to look at her brother, her eyes searching his.

Redtail pressed his forehead to hers, and breathed in deeply. “Maybe I’ll just avoid water forever,” he mused, amusement creeping into his tone. He laughed when Spottedleaf glared at him, “What? Would that not help?”

The medicine cat rolled her eyes, “We live next to a river, Redtail. And that is not what Starclan is trying to tell you. It’s a warning against a specific cat; We just don’t know who.”

Redtail snorted in indignation, “If Starclan really cared, Why didn’t they just tell me literally what was going on?” The question had long been on his mind since Spottedleaf was apprenticed. He never thought he’d be part of a prophecy, but look at him now. His parents must be so proud.

“Starclan….can’t.” Spottedleaf said after a moment, trying to piece her words together, and trying to swallow her anger that her brother question Starclan like this, “Think of it this way, brother….There’s a barrier between Starclan and our physical world. Only the most devout of Medicine cats can ever hope to cross it. That’s why everything was blurry in your dream, by the way. Starclan does their best to cross the barrier and send direct messages, but they get minced and watered down in the process. It’s like...being underwater; Your voice comes out all distorted, and images scattered. Trust me, they would love to tell you which cats are out to get you, but they can’t. The best we can get to ever seeing Starclan cats is when a leader gets their nine lives, or when we die.”

Redtail blinked, not quite expecting Spottedleaf to explain all of this to him. He supposed it made sense. He curled his mostly ginger tail around his paws, thinking of how to respond. “It’s...been a while since I have been to the moonstone. If i travel there, can they guide me?” As in, the last time he was there was when he was made an apprentice, since all newly-minted apprentices had to journey there. Except, peculiarly, for Firepaw. He would have to chat with Bluestar about his not going there. Redtail didn’t remember seeing anything significant when he journeyed there, except slightly sleepy and maybe seeing some starclan cats, but it has been a little while.

“Redtail, I love you, but starclan can’t do everything for you. This dream was a warning, not them telling you to come meet them by the shiny rock up north,” Spottedleaf said curtly, cuffing both of Redtail’s ears gently with her paw.

“Forgive me for not being knowledgeable in the way of vague prophecies, sister,” Redtail stuck his tongue out at her, and batted her paw away when she attempted to smack him.

“Okay, okay. Back to the topic at hand...you didn’t see what these cats looked like, did you?”

“Spottedleaf, they were screaming at me. I don’t think I had time to gather what they looked like. I’m pretty sure they were all black, anyway.”

Spottedleaf tilted her head from side to side, “Did you recognize any voices? And...strange as this sounds, a few days ago Tigerclaw came to me with a similar dream; He didn’t recognize any of the cats, however.”

“No? Well….I don’t _think_ so,” Redtail muttered, bewildered that Tigerclaw was apparently going to be going down a similar path that he was, “Most of the voices were mollies. Do you want me to fetch Tigerclaw?” Was this because he had scolded Tigerclaw for being so harsh to his apprentice? Was Redtail being daft? Maybe so. Maybe both.

“I will tell him later. And since we don’t know which cat these figures were talking about, I think it will be worth it if I talked to the other Medicine cats, in order to find out if this is exclusive to Thunderclan, or not.”

“Do we even have that much time?” Redtail asked. He didn’t want to think about whether this next sunrise would be his last one, or if he would drown several moons from now. Of course, all cats died, but having it be told to you how you would die was a slightly different matter. Redtail’s life apparently couldn’t be simple, even from birth. He was never even sure that he wanted to be deputy in the first place.

“Yes. I can assure you this. Starclan never warns against things last-minute. And even still, it isn’t necessarily guaranteed. Starclan just warns against the very likely future, so there’s a chance everything could turn out okay. It’s just...nobody can tell the future; Starclan just sees many paths, and gives us warnings about the most likely future. Anyway, I think it’s off to bed with you. Deputy needs all the sleep he can get, and so do I. See you, Redtail,” With that said, the deputy was quickly ushered out after an affectionate grooming. Redtail swiped his paw over his face in a futile attempt to slick down the long fur sticking out at odd angles.

On the bright side, at least he wasn’t dying anytime soon. He had plenty of time to figure out how to cope with all of this, how to help Dustpaw and Ravenpaw grieve over their lost father, (maybe) how to help Sandpaw and Rosetail deal with the loss of Poppydawn, and maybe he also had some time to become closer to some of his clanmates. Redtail looked down at his paws, illuminated dimly by the sun that had barely just risen over the horizon. Maybe he was hoping for too much, to help everyone with their problems while still being an acceptable deputy. First, though, he wanted to talk to Tigerclaw about this. They could figure something out together.

“Redtail?” came a tiny voice.

“Firepaw! What are you doing up so early?” Redtail questioned, his head swivelling to the apprentice who was just barely smaller than he was.

“Well, I just got back from a walk with Ravenpaw and Greypaw. We just...needed to chat was all, I promise, but I need to talk with you.”

“Oh? And how is Ravenpaw doing?”

Firepaw bounded the distance needed to reach the deputy, and dipped his head before laying down in front of him. Redtail felt mostly amused by the gesture, but also flattered. Firepaw was certainly trying his best to seem like a traditional clan cat.

“Not….Not well. He’s...angry. Would you mind keeping him from training for a few days?”

Redtail sighed, “I understand, but he might have to stay here for the gathering. It might help him, too, since we’ll have to announce Fuzzypelt and Poppydawn’s deaths. I doubt he wants a reminder, but keeping him from training is up to Tigerclaw, not I. Now, what did you need to talk to me for?”

“Yes, Redtail. And well, I wanted to discuss a few things with you? I’d talk to Bluestar, but quite frankly- she’s intimidating,” the young cat laughed nervously, not quite meeting Redtail’s gaze. The deputy rested his tail on Firepaw’s shoulders, and gave a gentle smile.

“You know the fight a few days ago? By those rocks? Do you really think we were ambushed?”

“Sunningrocks, yes. And I can’t say for certain. I was going to organize a patrol to talk with Crookedstar about this, since it seems to be a persistent issue...but, why does it bother you?”

Firepaw shifted his paws, “There were just...so few riverclan cats. They can’t be that stupid. And isn’t Darkstripe already being punished for breaking the warrior code?”

“You are pushing a dangerous accusation, Firepaw,” Redtail cautioned, “Are you saying that Darkstripe planned the fight? You are aware that this lead to Fuzzypelt’s death, don’t you?”

“Yes, I know. It just doesn’t sit well with me. He could’ve lied, right?”

“I don’t think Darkstripe has anything to gain from Fuzzypelt’s death…” Redtail trailed off, pondering the possibility of the young warrior wanting to sabotage Thunderclan. Was that the cat starclan was warning him about? Darkstripe was Tigerclaw’s friend, now that Redtail thought about it. If he was really that miffed about being punished for being responsible for poppydawn’s death, did he plan the ambush with Fuzzypelt’s death in mind? That...had to be some superb planning, since Fuzzypelt wasn’t on the original patrol, which had two other warriors involved.

“It’s barely plausible, Firepaw. Thistleclaw said he was pushed into the river, and Darkstripe isn’t even big enough for such a feat, anyway. Darkstripe has fuzzy morals sometimes, but he wouldn’t murder another Thunderclan cat,” Redtail said firmly, resting his gaze on Firepaw. He didn’t mean to be so critical, but the young apprentice was throwing a rather heavy accusation, and rather nonchalantly at that.

Firepaw sighed in frustration, “I’m sorry, Redtail. Ravenpaw is just so...angry, and Dustpaw is upset. I just want to know who did this, you know? Fuzzypelt’s death didn’t have to happen..”

“You have impressive empathy for your clanmates, Firepaw, Considering that you were not born and raised here. I admire that- I do. Your heart is in the right place, and if you can prove to me that, somehow, Darkstripe planned Fuzzypelt’s death, I would love to hear it. Right now, all we know is that he was drowned, and we can’t find his body. Darkstripe got his punishment for his involvement with poppydawn, and that's that. Now, go back to the den and sleep if you can. You have a lot of training to catch up on.”

Firepaw’s ears twitched, “thank you, Redtail. Of course. I’ll let you know if I see anything.” and with that, the lightweight cat was off. Redtail couldn’t help but notice that he behaved a lot like Greypaw, who had a bubbly, extroverted personality; The two apprentices were hitting it off rather well, which was pleasing to Redtail since Firepaw hadn’t yet found his place in Thunderclan.

Maybe...he would keep an eye on Darkstripe, though. He and Bluestar had been firm in their given punishment, keeping Darkstripe from the gathering in two days, and restricting him to Apprentice duties for the next moon unless otherwise stated. Willowpelt wasn’t amused with either of them, and a long argument had ensued between her and Bluestar. Leopardfoot’s siblings were...an interesting bunch, and it amused Redtail that Willowpelt practically defended her sons against pretty much everything, no matter what it was, and Patchpelt seemed to have little interest in Birchtail now.

Redtail stretched, not exactly feeling up to sleeping right now. It seemed his sleep schedule was just getting more and more erratic anyway, and even if he wanted to, he really couldn’t take his sister’s advice to sleep anyway. He had quite a few things to cover today, including a (probably) risky venture into Riverclan camp to talk to Crookedstar about Fuzzypelt’s death, but he needed Bluestar’s permission first. Maybe he should also tell her about how Starclan had planned his death out already, Redtail thought, but also maybe he should wait ‘til Spottedleaf actually gave him something to do with this information. Bluestar having a panic attack was hardly ideal.

The deputy poked his nose through the hanging moss on the entrance to her den, and withdrew sharply when he saw Thrushpelt in there, too.

“I hope I’m not interrupting something important,” Redtail called.

“We were just sleeping,” Thrushpelt meowed, stifling his laughter, “Come on in.”

Bluestar’s face was covered by her mate’s fawn fur, and she didn’t move her head to look at redtail, instead she flicked her tail and spoke, “What is it?”

“I want to take some cats with me into Riverclan camp and-”

“I think you’ll need more than a few warriors to take Riverclan, Redtail,” Thrushpelt smiled up at the younger warrior, and snickered when Redtail batted at his ears.

“Like I was saying- I want to discuss Fuzzypelt’s untimely death with Crookedstar and some of his other warriors.” Redtail mewed solemnly, not quite looking at Bluestar when she finally turned to regard him.

The leader took her time to sit up and cover her tail with her paws, “I do not think Riverclan would be comfortable with an accusation of murder, Redtail. We are not even sure if it was a deliberate death, or if Fuzzypelt fell into the rapids.”

“I’m well aware, and I wouldn’t be accusing anyone of murder. I would like to ask if they saw his body, and I would like to talk to the cats who fought against him in that patrol. Murder isn’t regarded lightly, and it would be best to expose him or her before they strike again, if ever. Please, Bluestar. At the very least, I want to find his body to give him a proper funeral.”

Bluestar sighed, but did not speak for a while.

“I can go with you, Redtail,” Thrushpelt spoke up, stretching his body out, “It’s been a while since I’ve done much, and I’m starting to feel a bit better.”

Redtail’s eyes went to the senior warriors’ large scars on either side of his body. Moons ago, he’d been attacked by a fox trying to enter the nursery during leaf-bare. The attack ended up taking the life of Mosskit, Bluestar’s third kitten from her only litter thus far. Thrushpelt and Falconrush,an apprentice at the time, managed to drive the fox away. Spottedleaf had holed him in the Elders’ den for as long as Redtail could remember, and she never had any intention of changing that..but if Thrushpelt thought he could do it, he didn’t see why not.

“Okay,” Redtail said, smiling, “Think you can keep up?” The deputy asked, mostly joking.

“Is that a challenge?” Thrushpelt mewed, ignoring Bluestar’s protests.

“If you absolutely _must_ go then send Crookedstar my regards. And be careful, Redtail. If those rapids took Fuzzypelt’s life, they can very well take your life, too. You too, Thrushpelt. Starclan knows I’ve been through enough already.” She gave a heavy sigh, but spoke no more and curled up into a ball.

Redtail gave a brief nod before skirting outside the den with Thrushpelt right behind him. More cats were awake now, as the sun heralded dawn’s coming. The deputy quickly asked Whitecloud to lead the dawn patrol, and beckoned for Thistleclaw to join him and Thrushpelt for the escapade to Riverclan.

“And you couldn’t take anyone _else_ , Redtail?”

Redtail’s tailtip twitched, “You were the one who said Fuzzypelt was drowned; I’m assuming you saw him go into that river. You are a senior warrior, and riverclan will respect your opinion.”

Thistleclaw tilted his head back and forth, and gave a stiff nod, “Very well then. What is the point of confronting them when I saw them drown him?”

This time it was Thrushpelt who spoke, “oh, _I_ don’t know. It’s almost as if Thunderclan would want to give one of its former senior warriors a proper burial. Imagine that, Thistleclaw.”

Redtail sent a quick glare towards Thrushpelt, and stepped in between the larger toms, “That is enough. Thistleclaw, to clarify, I would like to know if Riverclan saw his body. I also want to try and settle the whole debacle with Sunningrocks for now, before more cats die. We’re not going there to punish them for murder- Starclan will handle that in time. Now, let’s get going!” The tortoiseshell didn’t bother looking back, and bounded off in the direction of Riverclan’s camp.

It did not take them long to reach the river separating them from the heart of Riverclan, and with the recent rain most of the stepping stones to cross it were slick or underwater completely. It looked to flowing with less velocity than yesterday, so Redtail gave the go-ahead for them to begin crossing. To be fairly honest, the whole idea of water right now made the deputy nervous, given his recent nightmare, but he had to trust Spottedleaf; she couldn’t be wrong, could she? If he drowned, either she was terribly wrong, or Redtail was just famously bad at swimming, It would be a rather inglorious way to die by most cats’ standards.

Redtail managed to cross the first few large stones with no incident, but when Thistleclaw made the leap to join him on the same stone, Redtail was suddenly pushed forward as Thistleclaw was unable to stop in time. Redtail’s breath caught in his throat, and he swung his forepaws out in front of him, scrabbling against the next stone. He felt grateful when Thistleclaw grabbed a hold of him, and nudged him gently forward.

“Can you even swim?” Thistleclaw questioned, “You could’ve died.”

“ _You_ were the fool who jumped on the same stone as him when it was wet,” Thrushpelt mewed, amused. He was still on the first one, tentatively waiting for his compatriots to cross.

“Perhaps I….miscalculated, but that’s besides the point. Maybe this is too dangerous for you, Redtail.”

Redtail paid no mind to the two toms at first, and leaped onto the next stone. “I would be able to swim in this, but not as well as I’d like to. I owe my ability to my sister’s pushing me in the river when I wasn’t expecting it.” He chuckled to himself at that, even though the event was particularly frightening for both of them. Redtail was surprised he didn’t have an irrational fear of water by now.

When all three cats were on the other side, they took time to quickly groom themselves and each other. It was a rather unaffectionate and formal affair, and neither of them spoke for the duration. Redtail simply buried his muzzle in Thistleclaw’s thick fur, trying to think of how he was going to deal with the problems on his shoulders right now. Maybe it would have been easier if he brought Falconrush along as well; He was kind and charismatic, and Redtail didn’t mind short grooming sessions with the other toms- not that he was complaining, of course, but Thistleclaw was rather stale company, he was always direct, like lightning.

“All right, everyone ready?” Redtail spoke up, pulling himself away from his clanmates and resuming the trudge towards Riverclan’s camp. He couldn’t quite pick out if there were any riverclan cats nearby, since the place reeked of their smell pretty much everywhere- especially since they now owned sunningrocks. Redtail knew from experience that the ‘rocks would only continue to go back and forth from the two clans as he got older; A kind of pointless, silly conflict, but that was what he was here for: negotiations.

Which would apparently be cut short.

“What right do you have to be on Riverclan’s territory?” Skyheart called, rushing forward from some of the bushes with Carpfang and his apprentice, Silverpaw, in tow. None of the warriors looked pleased, but Silverpaw appeared to be mostly curious.

“We must speak to Crookedstar,” Redtail said, dipping his head.

“Why didn’t you come alone, then?” Carpfang asked, studying the ground before his gaze bored into Redtail’s.

“Because this particular issue involves all of us, and Redtail needed help crossing your river,” Thistleclaw defended calmly, pressing on regardless of Skyheart and Carpfang’s blazing anger.

“Like we should believe you after you lot attacked us!” Skyheart hissed.

“It would be in your best interest to leave now. I’m sorry, Redtail. Next time bring Bluestar, and then we’ll talk.” Carpfang had nudges his fellow warrior gently behind him, and then he took a small step forward. In response, Thistleclaw unsheathed his claws and inched forward.

Redtail gave a long sigh, about to protest. He stopped himself, not sure if he had the energy to either argue or fight these cats. Carpfang had a point- maybe he should have brought Bluestar...but he was her voice when she was absent. Nonetheless, the deputy began to turn back, with Thistleclaw and Thrushpelt staring at him bewilderedly.

“Wait!” Silverpaw cried, “I don’t know what happened yesterday, but my dad really is fond of Bluestar. Surely he’d respect her deputy, too? Can’t we hear what they have to say? They haven’t done anything to us.”

“Yet.” Skyheart hissed, “One must wonder why Bluestar didn’t come with you. What are you planning?”

“We’re planning to talk to your leader,” Thrushpelt replied, his ears folded back in annoyance. “We don’t want trouble, but this concerns a warrior of ours that recently passed- we want to give him a respectful burial; we would let you do the same, Skyheart.”

“Your warrior’s body would be long gone if the river had anything to do with it. My apologies, but you must turn back. Riverclan has enough to deal with now as is; We don’t want you interfering with that.” Carpfang replied firmly, holding Silverpaw back with his thick tail.

“No.” Thistleclaw growled, “We’ve been through enough hardships as well, and I’m not about to learn that I wasted my time and effort coming here in the first place, not to mention that Redtail almost died in the process! Get out of our way!”

“Thistleclaw, wait-” Redtail hissed, but what happened next left him with little time to respond.

Skyheart barreled past Thistleclaw, and straight into Redtail, sending the two tumbling across the marsh. Her claws dug in his shoulder and neck, and the deputy winced in pain as the struggling only made her dig them in more.

“You thunderclan cats never learn to listen, do you? Carpfang, help me show these fools out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeere we go. 
> 
> I had to change up how starclan worked to have it be a more mystical force. It makes death more impactful when you can't see the ghost of everyone you love whenever said ghosts want to visit, and it also makes Atheist cats more plausible. Also yes, this does mean that Starclan cats cannot be physical entities, so no training in the dark forest/going to starclan as a living cat BS. Also the concept of cat hell will be explained later. had to mostly axe that off because i hate it so much.
> 
> Also I want to explain why I didn't make Redtail trans, since I know that's a popular headcanon in this fandom.
> 
> I'm a transsexual man. I know Redtail has a bio child (Sandpaw) in canon (she's debated to be, at least), and to be honest, the mere idea of trans men bearing children is just a very difficult thing for me to think about, let alone write about. I know some transmen can bear the dysphoria of bearing a biological child, but most don't, therefore I'm keeping to my personal idea that Redtail is Intersex. I hope you guys are okay with this.
> 
> Feel free to leave comments as always. It really makes my week to see people leaving kudos and/or commenting.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AAAAHHHH i hated writing this chapter SO GODDAMN much. it went through so many edits, but i think i'm mildly satisfied with it. Also, it's three days late which sucks, but I'm hoooping it won't happen again.
> 
> but! I am working on another fic, so maybe a 10-day update schedule will be nice to work on two things at once. The new fic will focus on Leopardfoot, Pineheart/star and Tigerkit/paw/claw.

Everything seemed to happen so fast.

Redtail had writhed slightly out of Skyheart’s grasp, in order to push her away from him with his back paws- easier said than done when she was so much bigger- and he skittered away from the three riverclan cats. Thistleclaw, on the other hand, had other ideas.

The thunderclan warrior launched himself at Skyheart, hurling insults at her all the while. Thistleclaw managed a brutal blow across her forehead, also nicking her ear and causing blood to stream down her face. From there, he pinned her down, and it took Carpfang’s assistance to stop the thunderclan warrior from potentially killing Skyheart.

Redtail locked eyes with Silverpaw, who was frozen in place. She had been watching her mentor fight with wide eyes, muttering something under her breath. She seemed to be mouthing something to him, but Redtail couldn’t quite make it out before the riverclan apprentice actually sprinted away towards her clan’s camp.

“Thrushpelt,” Redtail called above the hissing and spitting, “get back, I don’t want you fighting yet.” Perhaps a redundant order, since the elder had little interest in the skirmish in the first place. Redtail pushed into the frey, digging his teeth into Carpfang’s shoulder to try and dislodge the warrior from Thistleclaw’s neck, and he stooped out of the way to avoid the black cat’s claws and fangs.

“Skyheart, this wouldn’t have been an issue if you didn’t attack Redtail!” Thistleclaw hissed, “We’re only here to talk to Crookedstar- why did you attack our deputy?”

“Because,” Skyheart replied lowly, skirting away from Thistleclaw’s grasp, and shaking her head to be rid of some of the blood tainting her vision, “Thunderclan poses an active threat to us! We can’t risk that kind of danger!”

“Oh, please,” Thrushpelt mewed, “You just got back Sunningrocks. Can’t you just be happy with that?”

The four cats had slowly increased the distance between themselves as the debate went on, and although Skyheart had started the fight, she seemed to have little interest in fighting now. Probably because of her wounds that she now sported. Redtail felt some sort of sympathy for her, even when he himself was bleeding because of her claws.

“Maybe we would be happy, if Thunderclan _stopped_ fighting over them for once! They’re sacred ground for riverclan!”

“I thought the river was, not those damned rocks. All I ever see you twats do is sunbathe on them,” Thrushpelt replied, giving a small shrug.

“ _Thrushpelt_ , stop it,” Redtail cautioned, “You aren’t helping.”

“Oh, so Thunderclan’s deputy actually has some sense?”

“What is that supposed to mean?!” Redtail asked, glaring at Skyheart.

They were interrupted by Silverpaw scampering back to Carpfang’s side, followed by Crookedstar. He dwarfed everyone around him, save for Thistleclaw, but he was much more muscular and stout. Silverpaw certainly didn’t inherit any of that, being more lithe and regal like her mother. Despite Crookedstar being one of the oldest leaders, he didn’t look it. Scars riddles his body and face from heavy battle experience. Redtail never really wanted to go against him in battle, unless he had a particular desire to die. Today was not that day.

Crookedstar’s plumed tail swept the ground in annoyance, “Skyheart. This patrol had three Thunderclan cats only, and they did not provoke you. Next time, take this deputy’s words to heart. Come along now, Mudfur will patch all of you up if he doesn’t chew you out. Redtail, I apologise for this disrespect, and I hope it consoles you that Skyheart will not be attending the gathering in two days’ time.”

“I thought we were in danger, Redtail. I’m sorry,” Skyheart muttered, not meeting Redtail’s gaze.

The deputy exchanged glances with Thrushpelt, who was holding back his laughter. Redtail didn’t think Skyheart actually meant her apology, but he supposed it would suffice. Maybe the punishment was severe-to bar a warrior from a sacred tradition as a punishment was frowned upon- but Redtail did not want to speak against Riverclan’s leader. His duty was to Thunderclan and its cats.

“It’s all right, Skyheart. I heal quickly, anyway,” Redtail ended up saying, falling into line with Crookedstar and Thistleclaw. For a while, none of them spoke, so only the sound of birdsong and crunching leaves broke the silence, although it was later replaced by the amusing sounds of the cats high-stepping to wade their way through the marsh. Redtail didn’t know how Riverclan could put up with all of this; it was terribly tiring.

“You are healing well, Thrushpelt. Will you be returning to warrior duties soon, then? I imagine your kits would enjoy someone else to pester,” Crookedstar spoke, grinning at the younger warrior. The two shared an amiable bout of laughter before Thrushpelt responded.

“I don’t know. I quite like it when Apprentices answer to my every whim, unfortunately now my daughter keeps referring to me as ‘grandpa’ as a joke, and my fragile pride can’t handle such a thing, so maybe I will. Maybe I will wait until they are both warriors, so that I can nag them until I die. A satisfying life from beginning to end.”

“You and I have very different ideas about what a good life is, don’t we?”

“I’m not surprised if your ideal life revolves around eating fish and and worshipping the remains as some sort of cult following.”

“Oh, it seems even Thunderclan has figured us out. Whatever shall we do?”

“Stop talking so we can focus on getting what needs to be done, done,” Thistleclaw muttered, bounding ahead of the group and not responding to the jeers that Crookedstar and Thrushpelt sent his way. It hurt Redtail a bit. Thistleclaw did have a point, but he was happy to see that some warriors could find some kinship with Riverclan. All four clans had their skirmishes, but they were bound to another by Starclan and brotherhood. In times of immense danger, the clans had stuck together, and it had been that way since The Four had founded the clans in the first place.

Redtail hesitated at Riverclan’s entrance. It was actually quite pretty, with shells and shiny stones woven into the reeds that made up the dens and bordered the camp itself. The area was much less of a marsh now, with the island the camp sat on being a few feet above the wet plains. It was nothing like Thunderclan’s camp, which was made in a ravine with several rocky outcrops and trees and towered over any cat. Easy to defend, but prone to flooding and cranky warriors who despised the flooding.

“Go see Mudfur, the five of you. Your wounds don’t look major, but I’m not a healer,” Crookedstar spoke, gesturing with his head to their medicine cat’s den. Carpfang led the small group in, and briefly explained the situation.

“So I’m going to be wasting my resources on Thunderclan cats, am I? Nevertheless, I’d rather not have you lot die on my watch. Carpfang, no more fighting for you until I know that bite wound on your shoulder is safe, Skyheart you, too. As for you Three,” mudfur muttered, moving over to Redtail and carefully examining his body. He pressed on his left shoulder, making Redtail wince, “you’ll be okay as well, just don’t do anything stupid. Check up with your sister to make sure that doesn’t get infected, or Bluestar will have to look for a new deputy.” Mudfur took time applying some thick paste to the cats’ wounds, and then (rather harshly) pushing them out of the den. Redtail’s whiskers twitched; He much preferred his sister’s attitude towards healing.

“If you are done, I can meet with you three in my den,” Crookedstar mewed, before disappearing into his large, and incredibly opulent, den. It had by far the most stones and shells strewn in, causing light to dance in the den in a delightful manner. Redtail suppressed the odd desire to mess with the light when he entered Crookedstar’s den.

“What did you need to see me about?”

“About the Sunningrocks fight. A warrior of ours, Fuzzypelt, died. He was carried away by the river, and we want to know if you’ve seen him.”

Crookedstar looked shocked. His ears were pinned back, and he didn’t respond for a long time. “I...am very sorry for Thunderclan’s loss. Fuzzypelt was a good, kind father and a friend of mine. But...silverpaw saw a body that might’ve been his, just north of here. She can escort you, I’m sure. I hope he can rest easy now, when he is buried in his clan’s territory.”

“He will rest easy when Riverclan admits to his murder,” Thistleclaw hissed.

“Forgive me, Thistleclaw, but you are being ridiculous. Riverclan cats do not drown their enemies. The river is too sacred to be used as a vessel for killing. You are mistaken. Cats fall into that river, and I would not be surprised if that was the cause of his demise, and in the tide of battle, anything can happen. You are dismissed,” the leader responded flatly, dipping his head to Redtail and Thrushpelt.

Redtail winced. There went the idea of not accusing Riverclan of Fuzzypelt’s death.Redtail really wanted to chew Thistleclaw out about that, but Fuzzypelt came first. He was sure he could get Bluestar to do that for him anyway; She had always held a rather large well of anger towards him, but Redtail had never known why, although he had his suspicions that it revolved around Bluestar’s sister.

Silverpaw seemed to materialize out of nowhere, excitedly bouncing up and down, “I can help you guys! Come on!”

“We’re letting an apprentice guide us?” Thistleclaw asked privately, whispering in Redtail’s ear

“This is the best chance we have, and Fuzzypelt will appreciate it. I think this will definitely improve relations with Riverclan, as well.”

Thistleclaw gave a heavy sigh, but complied as the group was led by the excitable apprentice. It was a mystery to Redtail as to how Silverpaw could run so quickly through the wet ground, when the three thunderclan cats followed slowly behind. Sometimes, she would stop abruptly to chat and let them catch up.

“I saw you looking at those nice stones and shells! They’re very important- Riverclan picks ‘em up and we stockpile them. You see, when a cat dies we weave one of those things in, one that they liked or resemble the most, so that the clan always has the memory of them! Also, it’s pretty.”

“We get it, fish-face,” Thrushpelt mewed, chuckling to himself.

“I got to choose the shell for my mom and my siblings. My sisters really like the scales of certain fish, so i spent the day scrapping as many as i could. And my mom loved these kinds of shiny white rocks but she said she could only ever see them near the twolegplaces, so I spent an entire night finding one! Pa was so scared when I didn’t show up in the morning.”

“These stones are really special to you, aren’t they?” Redtail meowed, somewhat fascinated by her tale. She didn’t seem to hold too much grief over the death of her littermates and her mother, “Didn’t their deaths upset you?”

Silverpaw slowed to a halt, causing Redtail to accidentally bump into her, “Oh. Well, of course. To both questions. I mean, I have my dad and my Uncle. But finding these things that they held dear just...helps a lot of us Riverclan cats….What did Fuzzypelt like? I could find something and give it to Dustpaw and his family.”

“That would be very gracious of you, Silverpaw,” Redtail murmured, “I only started talking to Fuzzypelt shortly before and after I got Dustpaw as an apprentice, but he really seemed to enjoy the feathers of magpies and swifts. And robins, presumably because those were his mate’s namesake.” It really was heartwarming to see an apprentice care so much for the feelings of outsiders. Redtail thought she would make an amazing queen, if the idea of being a mother appealed to her.

“Okay, I’ll find as many as I can, wash ‘em off as a blessing, and give them to Dustpaw directly. Meet me by the river with him a few days from now? I’ll make sure to tell Riverclan so nothing happens to you. I just want to make sure that Dustpaw and his family has something to remember his father by, you know? I don’t want them to be as lost as my Pa was when Willowfoot died.”

Redtail gave a brief nod, and was about to respond before he noticed Fuzzypelt’s body caught between two rocks on the riverbank. His typically curly fur was matted and covered in dirt and blood. His body was covered with scratches against his shoulder, but in a rather odd manner like they went against the grain. The smell caused Redtail to have to swallow bile, as some birds and ants had begun eating away at his body. Thistleclaw and Thrushpelt also turned their heads away, but silverpaw looked confused.

“What’s wrong with this?” Silverpaw asked, tilting her head, “our dead are left out like this, after being held under the river. It’s a blessing.”

“It’s disgusting and vile,” Thistleclaw spat, “Now come on, we have to bury him before he’s barely recognizable anymore.”

“Thunderclan buries its dead,” Thrushpelt told silverpaw quietly. Redtail had forgotten about the other clans’ burial traditions, but he knew that Riverclan and Shadowclan were pretty similar. Windclan had a tunnel made as a sort of ‘catacombs’, where only the bones were stored after the dead were….cleaned.

Redtail didn’t want any part in either of that, and was glad that he’d never have to. It felt...alien to him. But to each their own, he supposed. Whatever made the clans happy.

“Thistleclaw, could you carry him? I’m far too small for it and Thrushpelt is still recovering,” Redtail asked, moving to carefully pick up the deceased warrior by the scruff and drag him over to Thistleclaw, who flinched away before nodding. It took a lot of effort and gagging to settle Fuzzypelt on Thistleclaw’s shoulders and back.

“Thank you Silverpaw, this means a lot to us. Thunderclan will be grateful for Riverclan’s hospitality,” Redtail spoke, smiling at the young apprentice.

Silverpaw beamed, “I’m more than happy to help out those you need it. Anything to help turn a life around. Anyway, I’ll see you at the gathering!” With that, she bounded off back to riverclan.

“She is far too naive and altruistic for her own good,” Thistleclaw muttered, “Her reaching out to us will only lead to her being less attached to her clan.”

Redtail considered this for a moment, “Maybe, but she seemed to have no desire to leave riverclan.”

“Clan cats must keep to their own. We were created to take care of each other, not to mingle with these other clans until our clan is thrown into danger. We live hard enough lives already, we don’t need to worry about anyone else, Redtail. Leaf-bare is almost here, and so many of us have to go hungry. What if Riverclan demands a favor?” Thistleclaw meowed, levelling Redtail with an inquiring gaze.

When redtail didn’t speak, Thistleclaw pressed on, “Poppydawn died because of a lack of food, you know.”

“Poppydawn died because she ate so much and never seemed to get anything out of it. Not surprised, old cats are known for their creative death choices,” Thrushpelt spoke.

“Poppydawn’s death might have been avoided if Darkstripe hadn’t been a twit and gone away from the warrior code like he did. He might’ve even upset the One, with all this rain we’ve been getting,” Redtail responded. Darkstripe had always been rebellious, probably brought upon by willowpelt smothering him to starclan and back.

“Pah, Darkstripe is a fool boy anyway. Barely deserves to be a warrior now, especially with how he treats my son, Birchtail. But my point is, Redtail, that thunderclan will need all it can get within these coming days. The rains have ruined a lot of our stock. We can’t afford to have Riverclan potentially calling for us to help.”

“And when did he care about Birchtail?” Thrushpelt whispered to Redtail.

“Look- I can talk to Darkstripe. He seems to have benefitted from the punishment we gave him, anyway. And if Riverclan calls for help, we don’t absolutely need to help them. We can only give them help if we are healthy enough ourselves. Riverclan seems to be doing fine, and they even do well in Leaf-bare. Is this a good compromise for you?” Redtail asked curtly.

Thistleclaw stopped abruptly, causing Fuzzypelt to lurch awkwardly on his back and making Thistleclaw almost stumble to the ground. “It will do. Thank you for your consideration. Bluestar would never give me the time of day.”

“Leave my mate out of this,” Thrushpelt warned.

“Thistleclaw, We can all be biased. But this is something you need to take to Bluestar and me at some point if it bothers you so much,” Redtail responded, and glanced at Thrushpelt, mouthing at him to stay out of it. The fawn tom sighed, and for a long time the group walked in silence, stopping at the bank of Riverclan’s southeast border, with the stepping stones leading to sunningrocks.

“I don’t think I can jump with….Fuzzypelt on my back like this. The river is moving far too fast to swim by…” Thistleclaw trailed off, scanning the area for almost any other way across.

“Make a raft and float him on it,” Thrushpelt said.

“As long as that raft isn’t my body, maybe I’d consider it.”

“Think we can find a thick enough branch to use? Thrushpelt and I could keep it in place while you walk,” Redtail offered, not bothering to argue with the rather morbid jokes that Thrushpelt had been making. The storm had to have knocked some branches down, and the trees here were particularly thick and old. There were a few branches strewn about the river, but Redtail was interested in one embedded in the lake. A good enough size for Thistleclaw to walk on, but it would require some work.

“Thrushpelt, help me move that branch to the left of you. I’ll push it towards you, and you catch it and make a sort of...bridge.”

With a nod, the senior warrior bounded up the bank, leaning his paws into the river to better reach the branch when Redtail pushed it. With the speed of the river it actually wasn’t too difficult, but Redtail cursed under his breath when the stupid thing went north.

“We’re having fantastic luck today,” Thrushpelt mewed, running in tandem with Redtail to catch up to it. To their surprise, it didn’t take that long.

What it did take was Redtail’s having to fling himself halfway across the river to hook the branch with his claws and pull it towards him, causing him to jerk awkwardly backwards, and the tendons in his paw tensed uncomfortably.

“Nice catch!”

“Thanks,” Redtail huffed, pushing it over towards Thrushpelt and hauling it back towards Thistleclaw. They pressed it up against the stepping stones, and lodged it partly into the underside of the bank.

“There. Should be wide enough for you. Might have to crouch a bit,” said redtail.

“I can manage on my own,” thistleclaw muttered, hobbling slowly towards the deputy and doing his best to not lose his balance and send both him and fuzzypelt into the river. When that was done, Redtail had to help Thrushpelt across, as his sides were getting sore.

“Okay, i think we should leave him just outside the sunningrocks, and let Robinwing and the kids decide where would be best to bury him. Thistleclaw, stay and watch him and make sure no damn birds try to...pick at him.”

“Anything for my deputy,” Thistleclaw said, and when Redtail looked at him all he got was a warm smile.

That made Redtail feel a slight tinge in his gut, and he hung his head a little. He flinched when Thrushpelt jabbed at his side, “Perk up a little. It’s hard to get a compliment out of that dolt, and I would know- we were apprentices together.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

Thrushpelt chose to ignore this, “You know….Bluestar and I were chatting this morning..”

“What about?”

“Well, the current apprentices, specifically, your little guy and sandpaw. She thinks it’s high time they became warriors.”

Redtail stopped in his tracks, almost slipping and falling down the slope that lead to the entrance.

“I think they both need more time for….emotional development, Sandpaw especially. She has so much energy that...when she’s in a bad mood she just...deconstructs herself. Dustpaw hasn’t eaten anything even when I’ve told him to, and he’s still growing. They fight like warriors, Thrushpelt, but they aren’t ready.”

Thrushpelt shrugged, “Dustpaw was handling it very well. Grieved like any of us, but was up and…’chatting’ with Firepaw after you went to sleep. Whitecloud’s tried showing Sandpaw to your sister, but Sandpaw doesn’t believe she needs any assistance..”

“Sounds like her,” Redtail commented, carefully sliding down towards the west entrance of Thunderclan. There, he was greeted by today’s sentries- Mousefur and Willowpelt. A very unfortunate combination. “And what was Dustpaw talking to Firepaw about?”

“I only heard a small bit about him saying Firepaw didn’t know their customs, about how firepaw has apparently been going wherever he wants. Bluestar said that she would teach him herself, apparently”

“Yeah she...told me that, too,” redtail muttered on his way in, greeting Mousefur warmly and Willowpelt with a dip of his head.

“If it isn’t the one and only,” Mousefur said, “The clan’s in chaos. Apparently, you sister pinned Goldenflower as expecting kits. Presumably from sir Uppity, Tigerclaw.”

“My sister is excited for her grandkits! She deserves some good family like this, you know. And it’ll be more warriors someday!”

“Ah yes, more kits to take our food when we’re already almost starving. Besides, Willowpelt, Goldenflower still has to discuss with Tigerclaw if she wants to keep them. Big deal, that.”

“I’ll...go congratulate them. Thanks to you both! Why not switch out for the rest of the day, and...take Patchpelt and Darkstripe to take your places,” Redtail mewed, eyeing Darkstripe who had slinked out of the elder’s den, probably after cleaning them for fleas again. Mousefur gave a brief nod before bounding down to the camp’s clearing, and gesturing the tom to the west sentry position.

“Thrushpelt, you’re free to return to whatever duties you wish. Falconrush told me that Stonepaw’s been missing you, and all that,” Redtail said, giving the senior warrior a soft nudge, “I think some time with Mistpaw and Stonepaw is vital, then go see my sister. If she asks why you’re out, say it’s ‘the Deputy’s orders’.”

“She won’t be pleased.”

“You’re fine,” Redtail said, “Go have fun with your kids. I’ve got to talk to Dustpaw...and about everyone else in this clan, apparently.”

Dustpaw actually made it up to him first, “I heard that you were going to get Fuzzypelt….did you get him?”

“Yes, Dustpaw, we’ve got him. Just outside the new riverclan border. Tell your brother and mother, and let Robinwing know that she is free to choose where to bury him. Hold vigil for as long as you want, but when you’re back I must talk with you.”

Dustpaw gave a brief nod, and turned to get his family, but faltered, “Hey...I just. I want you to know I really appreciate this, and..you’ve always been, like, a second father to me,” Dustpaw’s voice caught in his throat, “Ravenpaw’s not okay, and mom is taking it rough, you know? They’ve...always had each other. Uhm, but I’m glad I have you, so. That’s all, I suppose. See you soon.” The young tom nuzzled against Redtail’s chest for a moment, and the two toms just purred together for some time.

Maybe Redtail would never have kits, but he didn’t need them. Dustpaw might as well be his son; He gave a quick good-bye to his apprentice when he left.

Redtail moved to congratulate Goldenflower, who was currently being swarmed by Frostfur’s kits and also Lionheart. She met Redtail’s gaze with some unease, and quietly excused herself from the crowd.

“Congratulations,” Redtail mewed

“Thank you. I’m...still processing it, I think. Spottedleaf didn’t say how many, and Tigerclaw is acting all funny and won’t respond to me. Hopefully your day was less confusing than mine? What’s with those scratches?”

“Well it was simple, I suppose. A small riverclan patrol tried to chase us off, but mudfur patched us up, and one of the apprentices helped us find Fuzzypelt. Dustpaw and company are with him, now.”

“That’s very generous. I’m also glad to see that Thrushpelt has been outside again. Spottedleaf was ranting with me when she told me I was, well, expecting, and she didn’t seem pleased. But...she does have a new apprentice!”

So Bluestar called a clan meeting without him? Redtail forced his fur to lay flat, “Ah, well, Thrushpelt seemed fine. Spottedleaf worries about him though; she worries about everyone. And who’s this new apprentice?” He was hoping Bluestar didn’t somehow hear his joke about letting Firepaw be her mentor.

“Ravenpaw, actually. She pulled him and Spottedleaf in her den to discuss it. Bluestar thought it would suit him better, what with the anxiety and all. Robinwing said that she didn’t think it was necessary, and thought he could make a fine warrior.”

“Well,” Redtail said calmly, “He could, and maybe he will. We’re testing the waters, I guess. If Ravenpaw dislikes the position or can’t do it, we’ll find him a new mentor….I hope you’re not mad about me telling Bluestar that Tigerclaw wasn’t the right fit…?”

“No, I’m not...I love him dearly, but he….can’t teach. Abrasiveness, I think. Not everyone is suited for the job even if they’re good warriors otherwise. He was a bit...miffed by it, if you will. He said he wanted to have a chat.”

Redtail gave a brief nod, “I can do that. How’s Firepaw faring?”

“Well...Bluestar will have to find a new mentor for him when I’m too far along, but I sent him on his first hunting mission- to catch as much as he can by sunhigh. He’s far more proficient in hunting than fighting, so I think he’ll fare well.”

Suddenly, Thistleclaw bursted into the camp, with a nervous Firepaw at his side….and a small ginger molly, whose fur had seen better days.

“Explain yourself, you fool,” Thistleclaw hissed, nudging firepaw to the center of the camp.

Quickly, whispers spread throughout the clan. Redtail had to peer above the shoulder of his taller clanmates to get a look on the outsider. She had to be older than most of Thunderclan.

“Who is she?” Redtail asked, jumping to Firepaw’s side and staring down at the rogue. She smelled faintly of Shadowclan.

“I….. I found her; she was about to die….so i got her some food. I tried to chase her off, but she was so weak-”

“This prat doesn’t understand how our culture works!” Thistleclaw hissed, eyes blazing.

“Are you the Arbiter for your clan now, boy?” the outsider croaked. She tried to stand, but collapsed back to the ground in a coughing fit.

Bluestar had been watching the commotion from the sidelines, but jumped down from the highrock to confront the issue. When the leader stood by Redtail, he could see how she was holding back a snarl.

“Don’t be upset,” Firepaw reason hastily, quickly looking from the outsider to Bluestar.

Bluestar shut her eyes and gave a long sigh, “Who is this? And why didn’t you kill her, if she’s an outsider?”

“Uhm, this is Yellowfang. Found her by snakerocks. May or may not have caught and given her some food…I couldn't just kill her.” Firepaw listed, getting more quiet as he went on.

All at once, the clan erupted with the sounds of rumors, insults, and jeers sent towards Firepaw and his interesting little discovery. The older cats called for direct action, but mixed in were voices pleading for a meeting.

“Silence!” Bluestar yowled. The rogue simply smiled at the cats surrounding her, casually grooming her neck fur like she wasn’t in any particular danger.

“What is your name, rogue?” Bluestar asked, “You smell of Shadowclan. Are you its medicine cat who got exiled for murdering Raggedstar?” Her words were slowly enunciated, and her lip curled as she spoke.

“Yellowfang’s the name. And Shadowclan believes anything that sorry excuse for a leader bleets out. Like a bunch of sheep.”

“Firepaw. Explain, now.” Came Bluestar’s demand.

“Goldenflower told me to go hunting. And I was! Then I noticed her sleeping near snakerocks….I asked her what she was doing, what her name was. I, uh, approached her and tried to attack, like you guys tell me to do, you know,” Firepaw said, “but, I….”

“ ‘But you’ what?” Sandpaw prompted harshly.

“But I couldn’t keep fighting her? She didn’t try to fight me for long. So I left her by sunningrocks.”

“And…?” Redtail asked.

“He didn’t chase her away, is what he did!” Thistleclaw growled.

“ _He what?_ ” Darkstripe called loudly, having removed himself from the sentry position when everyone started crowding around Firepaw.

Many cats started talking loudly again, and Redtail turned to Goldenflower, whose eyes were wide. Bluestar looked like she was about to tear both Firepaw and Yellowfang apart.

“Let’s be quiet, now.” Redtail called above the din, feeling mildly proud when all noise outside of quiet whispers was silenced. He felt Lionheart join his side, only to whisper: “What do you think about all of this?”

“We ought to hold a trial for her. Question her, I think.”

“A sensible response,” Lionheart responded, moving quickly to step in front of Firepaw.

“Firepaw simply felt guilt and pity for this old cat here,” Lionheart spoke, “Didn’t you, boy?”

“I...yes, I did. And she said she left after being accused of murder!”

“Redtail and I agree that you should hold a meeting for a….trial, of sorts, Bluestar. You know all cats guilty of crimes are given one. You remember the entire Mapleshade fiasco?” Lionheart said.

Bluestar sighed, looking at Redtail with searching eyes, and then nodding at Lionheart. “Fine. Let’s begin then, shall we?”

“Ask away, little lady,” Yellowfang spoke, not breaking away from her task of grooming herself and trying to undo some small mats.

“What makes you believe that you can settle in our territory, and eat our food?”

“Aren’t we, as medicine cats, given free reign over all the clans? I go where I please. No leader can tell me where to go.”

“That privilege no longer stands with you as a rogue; Weren’t you accused of murder, and exiled?”

“I was fine for a long time after Raggedstar’s death, until Brokenstar remembered that I happened to be on the scene. A fox caught him by the neck, twisted it. Our nice chat was rudely interrupted. But Brokenstar though that I had a paw in it, said that I’d forced him to go, or told Raggedstar to go into the Fox’s territory, and all that. Given Raggedstar’s horrible and sudden death, the clan just...rolled with Brokenstar’s suspicions. He’s the leader, after all. Can’t be wrong, despite that he can't choose any story he wants the clan to believe.”

“And you didn’t come to us directly because…?”

“Well, when a cat is accused of murder, normally that calls for execution, doesn’t it? Was too busy running to really give a damn. I know they went traipsing around Riverclan’s Northeast border trying to get at me. Been hiding for a while now, so I’ve been on the move. Guess you found me.”

“That explains why Spiderstar and Crookedstar told me that Shadowclan had been moving erratically over their borders…” Bluestar trailed off, thinking.

“Do you honestly believe her? It’s murder!” Thistleclaw brought up, and a couple a cats whispered their agreements, including Frostfur, sheltering her four kits with her plumy tail.

Redtail stepped in, flicking his tail to calm the crowd down again, “Bluestar, if this is true, we have to protect her, don’t we? She was a medicine cat, and she couldn’t defend herself from _Firepaw_.”

“Emphasis on ‘was’,” Darkstripe hissed.

“Then...I doubt you pose a threat, despite your scarring,” Bluestar said abruptly, “Very well. We will shelter you until proper evidence is provided that you did not murder Raggedstar, and until we are told otherwise, I will have Firepaw keeping care of you, and you will be held in the Elder’s den. You will be treated as a prisoner for the time being.”

Firepaw flinched, “...take care of her?”

“Clean fleas, take ticks out….clean her from dirt, feed her...like we do with all of our elders. You will do this until I say so. Do you understand me?”

When Firepaw gave a slight nod, Bluestar smiled, “very well then. Meeting dismissed. Thistleclaw, get Yellowfang into the Elder’s den. Spottedleaf, if you wouldn’t mind checking her over really quick?”

Cats moved left and right to obey Bluestar’s orders or to get out of the way and settle into groups to talk about this. Redtail stayed behind, watching Firepaw drag his tail behind him as he slowly made his way to the fresh-kill pile, and the deputy followed him.

“Have fun dealing with that old thing!” Sandpaw jeered as she picked up a squirrel and bounded away from Firepaw, merrily.

Redtail glared at her, but she didn’t respond. He sighed, and leaned down to whisper to Firepaw, “You know you aren’t supposed to eat right now?”

“Why not?”

“You’ll be taking that to Yellowfang instead. As punishment for feeding an outsider and eating prey you’ve caught, You will not be eating for the rest of today,” Redtail mewed, watching Firepaw drop his chosen mouse with shock.

“I...all right then. Thank you, Redtail.”

“For the record, I think what you did was commendable, but I do not make the rules, I just have to help enforce them. You may eat at the next sunrise, if it pleases you.”

He frowned as Firepaw muttered something under his breath, kicking the dirt on his way to the Elder’s den. Redtail chose not to give a response to that. Instead, he met eyes with Tigerclaw, a few feet in front of him.

“We need to talk.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhh hey sorry for the really late update even though i said i would be more regular.
> 
> I got a job, actually. It's been great and I love it.

Tigerclaw ended up taking Redtail to snakerocks, where there were less trees than anywhere else in their territory outside of the neighboring twolegplaces. The lack of cover made Redtail wary, and every now and again he glanced over his mottled shoulders.

“What is it, then?” Redtail asked, hopping onto a rock that jutted into the air and rested against a rotting log.

“I don’t know! I just need to get some thoughts off of my chest,” Tigerclaw stated sharply, meeting Redtail’s surprised gaze, “Can’t I do that?”

“Of course, I was just wondering when you would speak. Go ahead, when you are ready.”

Redtail’s ears twitched when Tigerclaw lapsed into silence again. The deputy sighed, and resigned himself to grooming his fur. The wind made it difficult, as there was yet another storm coming. Although, with Leafbare to start soon after the next gathering, maybe it would start snowing by then.  

“Do you ever want kids, Redtail?”

Redtail paused his actions, his tongue sticking out of his mouth for a while, while he thought about an appropriate response. He did want kits back when he was a new warrior, with Brindleface. He’d wanted a family, to just be a regular cat of thunderclan with someone to settle down next to. It stung him when she left, but he didn’t blame her- Brindleface just...didn’t want a mate who couldn’t sire her kits, so she went with Whitecloud instead.

“Yes, I think I do...but I can’t have kits, Tigerclaw. I...I’ve tried that sort of thing,” Redtail gave a short laugh, “Unless kits materialise in front of me, I don’t think I’ll have the chance. What about you?”

Tigerclaw just ‘hmm’ed in response, staring into the middle distance.

Redtail shuffled his paws, hoping that Tigerclaw wasn't about to ask him about his...preferences. It was...accepted by the clans, to like other toms, but not as supported as the desire for toms to court mollies; That resulted in kits who would be warriors for their clan. He supposed the only reason the desire for toms or mollies to court their same sex was only brought on because two of The Four were lovers, and united every Black or Red-moon.

“I wish I could tell you, Redtail. I care about Goldenflower and her desires, but I don’t think I can be their father. The other clans already despise me for being the kit of the leader who chose to leave thunderclan. What if I will be like that?”

“Just as it was his choice to go and leave, it is your choice to stay and be their father.”

“And yet some cats are terrible parents, Redtail. Goldenflower and I never even discussed if we actually wanted kits!”

“I can’t see into the future, Tigerclaw. The only thing close to that was the..” Redtail started, but trailed off for a moment, “Spottedleaf told me you had a similar dream to mine not too long ago. With all the plants.....the..the screaming, and the dark figures, right? Did you die there?”

Tigerclaw narrowed his eyes, “What? Redtail you can’t just change a topic that fast! I didn’t come here to talk about that!”

“Look, if I don’t get to this now, I’ll forget. It’s important! Just answer me, please.”

“Well...yes, I suppose that I did; I didn’t _die,_ ” Tigerclaw spat, his voice thick with disbelief, “There were so many cats just screaming at me, more than a patrol’s worth. There was...a lot of blood, and everyone was...upset? I don’t know. But...I suppose the dead body was yours then, wasn’t it?”

The two toms relapsed into silence.

“I’m...sorry. Is it hard, knowing you will die soon?”

“I...yes. There’s just a lot I haven’t done yet.”

“I imagine. There’s so much we both haven’t done yet; We’re both so young. Did you..ever want to be deputy?”

“I wasn’t opposed to the idea,” Redtail said after a few minutes, “I was happy with my job as a warrior, but I can handle myself just fine.”

“That’s how I feel,” Tigerclaw said, and continued when Redtail gave him a perplexed look, “About the kits. I mean...mollies can absorb them, right? I don’t have to..”

“This is something you should take to her, Tigerclaw. I’m neither a parent nor a mate, so I...don’t have much to help you with...why didn’t you talk to Whitecloud? He’s better with this kind of thing than I am.”

Tigerclaw pawed the ground, “Whitecloud’s been distant from Thistleclaw ever since he became a ‘paw. Thistleclaw was...like a father to me, you know? So as I got closer to him...the further I drifted from my brother. I’m still close to him! It’s just- I want an outsider’s opinion.”

“Is Thistleclaw still close to his son?” Redtail asked.

“...No. They have a lot of different opinions I suppose, and maybe that’s why I’m not as close, either. Leopardfoot never really cared too much for Thistleclaw, so I guess that rubbed off on him. I don’t know. Whitecloud doesn’t seem to care too much. Birchtail is more involved with him, now that I think about it. Or, he tries to be. It’s not my business.”

“Thistleclaw was your mentor,” Redtail mentioned.

“Yes!” Tigerclaw beamed, “He was the only cat who outwardly showed pride and affection for me as a ‘paw. Mum was just...sad all the damn time. I never knew why.”

Redtail’s fur rippled. So Leopardfoot had never told the kid about her situation, “She spoiled you. Did everything she could to protect you. Of course she’s proud of you.”

“I know. And I love her, I do. I just...I don’t know why she was so upset. I know that she lost the rest of my siblings but…”

“You answered your own question,” Redtail mewed, whiskered twitching in amusement. It was not his job to tell him that entire story. He had only really known because Leopardfoot was his mentor.

“She worries about you, you know.”

Tigerclaw glared at him, “You don’t think I know that? Look- Thistleclaw taught me all that I know. I got a fighting suffix! Mum just coddles me.”

“Yeah, perhaps she does. But you stood up for Firepaw because you thought she’d like it?”

“She taught me to stick up for weaker cats. So I did. I thought she’d be happy. And then Thistleclaw yelled at me for it! Look- I’m done with this. Thanks for the advice for Goldenflower. Let’s go home.”

Redtail lowered his head, “No, actually. Let’s continue as a patrol. Bluestar told me that shadowclan has been encroaching upon both Riverclan and Thunderclan territory lately.”

Tigerclaw hesitated, frowning. Some residual part of Redtail wanted to smack him. “Come on, Tigerclaw. You love doing patrols normally. Scared of some Shadowclan cats?”

“No!” Tigerclaw hissed. Ah, that was more like him. The black tabby actually surpassed Redtail quickly, and soon the duo moved into the trees as they approach the tallpines. The tortoiseshell stopped abruptly as some cats wove through the trees. All of them were cats he didn’t recognize from his clan….except for a few.

“Dustpaw! Sandpaw!” He called, watching as the two apprentices stopped in their tracks. The outsiders kept running. Good.

“Redtail!” Dustpaw cried as his mentor joined him on the ground, “We were looking for you! Everything was fine for a while but then there were cats everywhere. Shadowclan, most of them. Please, there’s so many wounded-”

Sandpaw joined in, “They almost killed Bluestar.”

Redtail made no time racing back to camp, with the other three in tow, “What? She didn’t lose a life, did she? Who stopped them?”

“They’re still there!” Dustpaw breathed, “I don’t know if she lost a life, or how many she did lose, if any. She sent out a patrol and not long after all these other cats came in! They really hurt Brindleface! Whitecloud sent us after some of the escaping cats- the ones that took her kits!”

“You didn’t tell me that in the first place?” Redtail hissed, not particularly angry at Dustpaw, but stressed beyond his capacity to actually care about his tone right now. He jumped over the brambles, and down into the ravine, landing a little rougher than he’d wanted to.

Cats rushed past him, trying to cram into almost every den there was, with the noticeable exception of the medicine den. Redtail quickly ordered the apprentices back to help cover the Queen’s den, and had Tigerclaw follow him to try and separate the attackers from his leader.

He was stopped a few cats’ lengths away from Bluestar, who had managed to fight off another cat. Redtail hissed as he pushed his assailant away easily- even though the other cat was fully grown. He scanned the crowd, quickly recognizing Blackfang, Clawface, Boulderclaw, Applefur, Snowrush, Russetfur, Juniperfoot, Asterpelt, Flintfang, and Dawnfur. The rest of the cats had to be rogues, or kittypets. They certainly didn’t fight well. And for Shadowclan to leave its camp almost completely helpless? And for what? Brindleface’s kits? To kill Bluestar?

Falconrush broke through the crowd around him, interrupting the deputy’s thoughts. “Redtail! Mousefur needs help! They- They might kill her!” He screamed, leaping back through the camp as Redtail followed. Falconrush got there much faster, ramming himself into one of the offending toms, and pouncing onto another. Redtail hesitated to watch for a moment, then grabbed Mousefur by her scruff and helped her to her paws, “Is the medicine den clear?”

“I’ve been a bit too busy to notice, but I guess I’ll check, or die trying!” the younger cat rasped, limping to Spottedleaf’s den. Redtail gave a quick nod, and joined Falconrush as he tried to free himself off of Asterpelt. He bit into whatever he could- the back, the tendons, anything. Asterpelt thrashed against her attackers, pushing Falconrush’s face into the dirt, and swinging around to grasp Redtail by his neck.

Redtail managed to move so that it was only the back of his neck; He scrabbled against the ground as the large she-cat pressed him into it. He felt her trying to push him over, so his stomach was exposed, but he dug his claws in as hard as he could, and flung his front paws out to find purchase in the she-cat’s flank. Falconrush gripped onto her shoulder, slashing at her ears and face until blood ran into her eyes and she was forced to flee.

He brushed against Falconrush quickly, as a way to say thank-you, and then he was into the frey again, joining Bluestar in her fight against Flintfang and Applefur. He noticed his leader’s bloodied neck and shoulder, and found his blood boiling. He yowled as Applefur attempted to leap at Bluestar, but instead she met Redtail’s claws as they wrestled on the ground.

Bluestar hissed at him, “Redtail, forget about me- get to the Queen’s den. They took Brindleface’s lot! Do not let them take another!”

Redtail hesitated for a moment, probably longer than he should have, but eventually he relented and released Applefur from his grasp, and the two bolted in opposite directions. It was hard muscling through the crowd to get to his destination, as most of thunderclan and the attackers were wedged into that small space. He managed to rip Boulderclaw away from the group, since the grey tom was about as small as he was. Redtail dropped to the ground, weaving through stamping legs and feverish claws to get through to the entrance, where three panicked queens lay pressed as far away from the assailants as they could. Redtail squeaked when Brindleface landed a blow to his face, causing blood to flow into his mouth.

Brindleface immediately recoiled, “I’m sorry- I thought you were one of _them_!”

Frostfur gathered her four kits as far as she could behind her, “They just came! They rushed into here and grabbed her kids- me and Laureltail managed to drive some of them off and get some warriors for a barricade but I don’t know how long it will last!”

Laureltail growled lowly, “I almost lost Goldenflower and Lionheart once. I’m not losing Snowkit.”

“I know,” Redtail said, a lot more confidently than he actually felt. He turned around, and braced himself against the makeshift barrier of his clanmates: Whitecloud, Leopardfoot, Rosetail, Birchtail, Patchpelt, and Robinwing stood side by side spitting and swatting at any cat who dared to try and push past, no matter who they were. It was too dangerous to trust any cat to slip past.

“They didn’t hurt the kits, did they?” Redtail turned back, and immediately regretted asking. He’d never seen Brindleface look more broken.

“I don’t know..Whitecloud told me that they seemed okay. I don’t know, I don’t know…”

“Hey,” Redtail murmured, pressing against his friend’s side, “We’ll get them back. I promise, on my life.”

“That means a lot to me,” Brindleface spoke in between sobs. “They’re the only kits that survived my kitting...Whitecloud was devastated…”

He remembered how terrified she had been, and how Whitecloud had isolated himself for almost a moon. Abruptly, Redtail jumped backwards as Snowrush and Juniperfoot broke through the crowd, grabbing Rosetail straight by the neck and forcing her into the dust. Whitecloud grabbed Snowrush by her scruff and staggered her back towards the rest of them, but Juniperfoot clung to Rosetail’s neck like his life depended on it. Redtail squirmed under Whitecloud, and bit into Juniperfoot’s cheek and trashed as hard as he could until the tom yowled and let go. And with the gap Rosetail left, more shadowclan warriors pushed to enter the den, almost trampling both Redtail and Rosetail in the meantime.

“Get back towards the queens, I’ll take your place,” Redtail whispered. Rosetail squirmed out of her awkward positioning and scrambled towards the three queens who stepped forward to gently lick Rosetail’s neck wound.

Suddenly, all of the cats left after several commands from Blackfoot were barked. Redtail’s mind whirled as he watched the large party of cats scramble backwards, and towards the Elder’s den instead.

“Halftail! One-eye!” Falconrush yelled, running as fast as he could to block the crowd’s entrance.

Redtail winced. Falconrush would die if he stood there. Stonepaw rushed to his mentor’s aid, and Mistpaw also joined him. Redtail cursed under his breath, calling the warriors who defended the Queen’s den to his side and racing to meet Falconrush and the Apprentices by the Elder’s den, hopefully before the Shadowclan cats and company.

They ended up clashing somewhere in the middle; blood and fur flew everywhere, but there were far too many enemies for them to overwhelm, and eventually Blackfang and his lackeys pushed through, violently tossing Falconrush aside and pushing into the Elder’s den.

Blackfang made quick work of dragging Yellowfang out of the den, and soon there were shadowclan cats all around him.

“Thunderclan was never meant to do Shadowclan’s Justice!” Blackfang snapped, “This is what you get.”

Suddenly, Firepaw bursted forth, running into Blackfang's shoulder with such speed that it knocked him off of Yellowfang and surprised the other cats. The other thunderclan apprentices, with the exception of Ravenpaw, quickly rallied behind him.

“She is innocent!” Firepaw screeched, “You don’t know what you’re talking about! Go away!”

Firepaw turned around, leaped, and landed clumsily on Blackfang’s shoulders. The deputy almost threw him off, but the other apprentices joined him, tearing at his fur and any other cat who got too close. Redtail ordered his cats to rush forwards to separate the other warriors, and with a cry, they ran forward.

Redtail joined Dustpaw in attacking the shadowclan deputy, biting in between his arms and pushing the older tom backwards. Redtail hissed as he felt the tom’s claws dig into his flank and stomach as Blackfang attempted to dislodge him, but Dustpaw bit into his paws, causing the deputy to scream in pain and writhe in Redtail’s grasp.

Redtail let him go, but ran at him for a moment to make sure he wouldn’t try the same thing again. Gradually, the Shadowclan cats lost fervor and withdrew.

“We’ll be back, you know,” Blackfang hissed, lifting up his injured paw, “We need more land, and you’ve our criminal. We will make you pay.”

“No you won’t, not on my life!” Redtail spat back. The two deputies glared at each other for a moment before Blackfang lashed his tail and called for his warriors and lackeys to retreat into the forest.

The clan stood in silence as family members searched for their loved ones, and for their apprentices. Bluestar limped next to Redtail, “Get me a census.”

Falconrush whispered hoarsely then, “Halftail is gone. They took him- I don’t know what he was thinking. He tried to help me..”

Redtail frowned, resting his head on Falconrush’s for a moment, “I will be right back. I have to see if anyone else was killed, and then we will hold a vigil.”

“Thank you.”

Redtail nodded briefly, skirting into the medicine den and relieved to find Spottedleaf and Ravenpaw completely healthy. “We’ll need you help. There’s a lot of injured.”

Spottedleaf gave a curt nod, “I know, what do you think I’m doing? Ravenpaw dear, take some moss and help wash some wounds. Get to the elders and Queens first, or to those who are bleeding most.”

Ravenpaw didn’t say anything as he took the wet moss, not even regarding Redtail as he went about his duties.

Redtail gave a small smile to his sister before he followed the apprentice out. He jumped up on a fallen tree, and immediately he felt bile rise in his stomach. Right below him lay a fawn tom, his neck awkwardly jackknifed and his eyes empty.

“Thrushpelt,” Redtail whispered. He looked to catch Bluestar’s gaze, and beckoned her over; Her gaze fell, and she crouched next to him. Her kits were not far behind, and they stared at their father’s body with shocked eyes.

“I didn’t see him fighting any of these cats,” Bluestar whispered, “It’s like he was never there at all...I was wondering where he had went.”

Redtail looked around, noting the blood smears across the dust. “Someone dragged him here.”

Bluestar nodded, but didn’t respond otherwise. Redtail jumped off of the log to join her.

She stood up abruptly then, giving a soft lick to both of her kids before she sprinted to the Highrock. “Cats of Thunderclan, tonight has been dire. We’ve lost Halftail and Thrushpelt,” her voice broke, just barely, “and we may lose more. You all fought bravely, and when we recover, we shall take back Brindleface and Whitecloud’s kits. But I must leave you in order to Journey to the moonstone. This does not sit well with me, and I fear it may be a warning for what is to come.”

Thunderclan gathered as she spoke, and Thistleclaw muscled his way to the front, “None of this would have happened if Yellowfang was in the clan. When they found her, they withdrew from everything. She is not our problem.”

One-eye spoke up next, her voice quiet from grief and her age, “They killed my mate trying to get Yellowfang out. Please, Bluestar, Thunderclan can’t have her around. Let Shadowclan deal with her and...whatever she did.”

Firepaw hissed, “but she didn’t do anything! She was trying to escape them!”

“And so are we!” retaliated Thistleclaw, “We’re just trying to survive, kittypet, I don’t care what she did or did not do, her existence puts us at risk!”

Bluestar waved her tail, “That is enough. I will decide along the way what to do with her. For now, have her stay in the hollow beneath the Great Sycamore. She will be hidden there.”

“But they’ll kill her-” Firepaw insisted.

“I’m old. I’ve done enough. I didn’t need your help in the first place, Firepaw. You ought to use that empathy for someone else.” Yellowfang croaked, avoiding the glares of various cats.

“Yellowfang is partly right,” Bluestar spoke evenly, despite Thrushpelt’s death, “nonetheless, my journey to the moonstone will take several sunrises. Firepaw, you will be coming with me. Stonepaw, Mistpaw, you too. Redtail will be leader until I come back. Listen to him as such.”

“And if you don’t come back?” Tigerclaw brought up slowly.

“If I don’t come back in seven sunrises, about twice the time it should take, assume that I’ve been killed or otherwise died unless any of my companions say otherwise. Redtail, you will go to the moonstone to succeed me. And while I’m here, I personally recommend that you elect Leopardfoot as your deputy. If, starclan forbid, Redtail is killed, then Leopardfoot will succeed the both of us. I trust her- She was my sister's best friend, and one of my most trusted warriors.”

Redtail blinked. This was far too much information to process at one time.

“What about the gathering?” was all he could think of.

“That is part of your normal deputy duties. You’ve dealt with it before when I was suffering from greencough. Also, unless those seven sunrises pass, do not lead any invasion into Shadowclan. Thunderclan has to heal.”

“I understand.”

Bluestar leaped down from the highstones, gently touching her nose to Leopardfoot’s, and then to Redtail’s. “Good. I’m trusting you.”

“I won’t let you down.”

The leader moved to leave, but stopped. “Actually, one more thing.” She bounded to the highstones again, “It has come to my attention that two of our apprentices fought very bravely today. And I would like to end on a...high note, if you will. Sandpaw, Dustpaw. Step forward, you two. It’s about time.”

Redtail couldn’t help but grin as Dustpaw crept up next to him. “Go on,” he whispered.

“Dustpaw, Sandstorm. I’ve a lot to say about you. I, Bluestar, Leader of Thunderclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. Dustpaw has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in your stead.” she breathed in, deeply.

“Dustpaw, Sandpaw, Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?”

“Of course,” Dustpaw said, evenly. He looked back at Redtail, beaming. Redtail dipped his head.

“I do!” Sandpaw replied, standing to the side of her injured sister.

“Then by the power vested in me by Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Sandpaw, from this moment on your will be known as Sandstorm. Thunderclan values your courage and spirit, and we welcome you as a Warrior of thunderclan. Dustpaw,” She paused, looking at the black tabby.

“You will be known as Dustcloud. Thunderclan honors Bravery and Resilience, and we welcome you, too, as a warrior of Thunderclan. You saved Redtail, also, and for that I am grateful. You two will hold vigil over the clan tonight, and may only speak if there is an immediate danger to Thunderclan.”

Bluestar leaped down once more to brush her face against the newly-minted warriors’ cheeks, “and with that, I must leave you all for a time. Stonepaw, Mistpaw, Firepaw. Come with me. Now it is time to make your first journey to the moonstone, too.”

"I don't want to go.." Mistpaw mewed, trudging behind her brother, "I want to stay and bury Thrushpelt. Can't we leave tomorrow?"

“What about Firepaw’s punishment?” Thistleclaw interrupted.

“That will be resumed afterwards. This is more important. The remaining apprentices can take care of her if she needs it, and  Mistpaw, we will decorate his grave, but we need to get out of here. For a breather.” Mistpaw grumbled something, but conceded. When Bluestar had all the apprentices she needed, she made short work of exiting the camp.

Redtail smiled awkwardly as most heads shifted to gaze at him.

Leopardfoot moved to stand beside him, “Relax. You will do fine. Now, let us hold vigil for the fallen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's gonna be a lot of dead people to announce at the gathering
> 
> also uhhh would u guys like me to make a side tumblr so i can show of designs of these guys and maybe draw scenes from here?
> 
> aaand also here's a second fic to this universe: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14849300/chapters/34374554


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leopardfoot: when the angels first woke me up, I said "no, I didn't want to get out of bed."  
> Leopardfoot: And, all of a sudden, I was a divorced woman.

The day after, Redtail could barely see the graves lined out in front of him. The snow fell quickly, and soon it became a borderline blizzard. He hunched closer towards Leopardfoot, and stared down at Thrushpelt's grave, sat right next to Bluestar's  sister and the leader's deceased kit, Mosskit.

"I wish I had been there to help him," Leopardfoot whispered. Her voice was further muffled by the small arrangement of flowers she held in her mouth. 

"You and me both," Redtail replied, "It didn't even look like he had a chance to put up a fight.."

"Cats can be cruel." 

The tortoiseshell tom didn't reply to her immediately, instead he watched as his mentor got up slowly and drop the flowers off at three different graves, two significantly smaller than the other.  Leopardfoot didn't return to his side, and hunched her shoulders as she whispered something under her breath. Redtail leaned forward, recognizing Snowfur's grave, and realizing the other two were likely Nightkit and Mistkit's resting places.

Redtail moved to join her, stopping a little ways behind her so as to not disturb her friend.

"They could've done great things," Leopardfoot whispered hoarsely, "they didn't get a moon to their lives. And Snowfur....she was killed shortly after Whitecloud was born. It was all too much at once."

Redtail had no recollection of Snowfur's death, as he had only been a little older than Tigerclaw was. He knew of her significance, however.

He moved to say something, but Leopardfoot silenced him, "I had to raise them on my own, you know. I thought it would get easier, taking Whitecloud in as my own. He doesn't know..Am I a poor mother, for not letting them know? for not letting them both know?"

"...Whitecloud doesn't know that you're not his mother?"

"No," Leopardfoot said after a moment,  "both Tigerclaw and Whitecloud know of each other as half-brothers. And maybe it is better that way. I just...wanted Whitecloud to have an easy life, you know? Free of the perils that Mistkit and Nightkit went through before they died. I made Bluefur promise- promise not to tell him." Her voice was barely a whisper now, especially among the raging winds.

"I wish I could apologize to Snowfur, Redtail," Leopardfoot turned to face the deputy, her green eyes wet with grief, "She loved her son. She loved being a mother....she loved me. And here I am, taking her greatest achievement away from her because of selfish desires."

Redtail shuffled his paws. "You apologize to her every moon, though. You decorate her grave and pray. I bet she is grateful that you raised her son to be so virtuous and kind, and to adulthood when he might've had no chance. You took him in despite losing your kits and Tigerclaw being so sick. You didn't take that away from her; You...just, made it so that her 'greatest achievement' can live on and serve his clan and achieve his desires."

Leopardfoot hummed thoughtfully, but didn't otherwise respond.

"May I tell you something personal?" The smoky cat said suddenly. Redtail nodded.

"Sometimes...sometimes I wish that I was in Starclan right now, so I could see my two lost kits again. I want to know What they would have looked like as adults, and what name the Four decided to give them," Leopardfoot swallowed thickly, "Maybe it is selfish of me, but...but, sometimes when I am high up, I think of jumping now, and not landing on my feet.  I wouldn't feel miserable, then, Redtail. I.."

Redtail felt his throat going tight, and he moved to press into his mentor, and purred gently.

"I was angrier than I ever had been when Bluestar told me that she named Mistpaw after Mistkit. It was...bittersweet, almost. I don't know why I let her do it? I guess I was flattered, that she thought of me. But then Bluestar gave me Mistpaw as my second apprentice, and I had to resist the urge to claw her ears off. All it did was remind me of who I lost. I never tell Mistpaw that- she doesn't deserve my spite, it wasn't her fault."  Leopardfoot let out a shaky breath.

Redtail remembered Mistpaw and Stonepaw's apprentice ceremony. Falconrush was a controversial enough choice for Bluestar to make, since he had only recently become a warrior, but the clan had almost went silent when the leader gave Mistpaw to Leopardfoot. He remembered how...sad Leopardfoot looked, and how she glared up at Bluestar, who only urged her on.

"But I know I can't go. I'm staying here for Tigerclaw. I know he's upset with me, angry because I couldn't deal with my own depression and....I guess I never loved him enough. The clan looked down at him, after Pinestar left. I remember your mother trying to keep you and your sister away from him, out of fear that I would leave and that Tigerkit would vanish also. A leader's kits are always expected to survive, and then Thunderclan had no leader. Bluestar and Snowfur were the only ones who loved and trusted me. And then when Tigerclaw got apprenticed to Thistleclaw, I felt hurt. I had specifically asked for Flamestar to apprentice him to Fuzzypelt, Brindleface, or Poppydawn- calm cats who would teach him humility."

"But Thistleclaw has a stick up his rear. He wanted to be deputy ever since I was an apprentice, but now he can never be one because of some stupid choice he made." Leopardfoot's tone shifted gradually from grieving to angry and bitter, and Redtail tore himself away from the dark molly.

"What'd he do? Pick a fight he shouldn't have?"

She scoffed. "Quite a few times, yes. Almost got Lionheart and Goldenflower killed when they were almost ready to be warriors. Bluestar told me that's not the reason why; she said it was personal. But if it's that major, I don't know why the clan can't know about it. He's a powerful cat, and smart as well. He picks fights with our neighbors because he thinks that Thunderclan deserves more, and he's not afraid to voice his opinions. He's reckless about his attacks, sure, but I don't know why he's forbidden from the position."

Redtail didn't feel comfortable discussing Thitsleclaws' wrongdoings behind his back, so he thought of a different subject, "Tigerclaw really tries to make you proud."

Leopardfoot frowned, "I...I am proud of him. I'm proud of him for making it out of kithood alive, for learning to fight so deftly. I...thought it was obvious."

"Yesterday, he talked to me," Redtail whispered. Okay, so maybe he was going to talk behind a cat's back anyway. But this time, he had a good reason. "He said that Thistleclaw only showed affection and pride towards him, and that you were....too focused on recovering to notice him."

Leopardfoot's green eyes met Redtail's hazel ones, and he saw her eyes scan his body. He didn't know what she was looking for.

and then she nodded, "Maybe I was. I think I deserve to focus on recovery, considering what I was going through- not that I don't love my son. I was trying to move on, and then Bluestar apprenticed you to me and I didn't have as much time to be in the nursery with Tigerkit, and every time I asked Thistleclaw if you and Tigerpaw could train together, he said he was busy with him." 

Redtail averted his gaze, "He said that you coddle him."

The large molly's fur rippled, and it almost looked like her pelt shimmered in the way the fur got lighter as it got closer to the skin.  "I understand where he's coming from, but I don't know how to balance it, if I'm honest. He wants my outward affection, but says I coddle him. It's like he's afraid to be around me."

Redtail thought for a moment before responding. "He's probably trying to prove that he can survive without your help, if I had to guess. He does love you, you know."

He remembered the fact that Tigerclaw shared a similar dream with him nights ago. Except Redtail was the one who died, and Tigerclaw was drowned out not with water, but with noise. Redtail shut his eyes for a moment, and he saw the shadowy figures around him again, warning him before being surrounded in thorns. Then all Redtail felt was pain. 

Was Tigerclaw going to kill him? The deputy frowned; Tigerclaw had voiced his displeasure at the dream, and how he was sorry that Redtail's life would apparently be cut short; He could be lying, however, and Spottedleaf had said that it might not happen. maybe Tigerclaw played a different role in his dream. Maybe Tigerclaw would save him. 

but from what? Maybe whoever had murdered Fuzzypelt and Thrushpelt was going to eventually be after him as well; Those were separate clans responsible for those, though, so he'd have to wait until Spottedleaf talked to the other medicine cats at the gathering tomorrow.

Leopardfoot gave a soft nod, and then stood up. "Thank you, for being with me. It means a lot. I'll....I'll go talk to Tigerclaw now, I think. Why don't you announce who's going to the gathering, if you don't mind walking back home with me?"

"Of course not," Redtail agreed, walking awkwardly through the piled-up snow. He flicked his paws every now and then as the bitter cold built up in his pads. After a while, the pair moved up into the pine trees, as that was where Thunderclan cats were most comfortable. They got back to camp pretty quickly, jumping down from tree to tree until they could jump down before the southern entrance.

"Why don't you take Whitecloud and Tigerclaw on a hunting patrol with you?" Redtail asked as they pushed past the entrance sentries. 

"Whitecloud is out comforting Brindleface at the moment, but I'll suggest some hunting to Tigerclaw. I'll see you, Redtail." She nuzzled him briefly before she moved to see her son, standing by the nursery.

Redtail smiled as he watched her go, and bounded up to the highrock quickly. "Thunderclan, I'd like to announce which warriors and apprentices are coming to the Gathering tomorrow night." He had to yell to be heard above the blistering winds. Slowly, cats gathered, but the queens only poked their heads out of the nursery, as did Spottedleaf and Ravenpaw.

"I know there are cats who are not yet done grieving, and so if I ask you to come with us, you may say that you wish to stay, either in private or directly here," Redtail said after a moment, "The cats who I've decided to accompany me to the gathering are as follows: Leopardfoot, Tigerclaw, Patchpelt, Birchtail, Falconrush, Robinwing, Lionheart, Dustcloud, Sandstorm, and Thistleclaw. Spottedleaf and Ravenpaw, you must attend, unless there are cats here to attend to."

He watched as cats whispered among themselves. Greypaw stumbled in front of his view. "Can't I go? It'll be my first gathering, and Ravenpaw's a friend. I'll be good!"

Willowpelt, of course, was there to defend him. "Yes, he deserves it! and why don't I get to go with my two sisters? Why doesn't Darkstripe get to go?"

Lionheart gave a small nod, "I'm not speaking on behalf of Willowpelt, but on that of Greypaw. He's performed well in training, particularly hunting. I think he ought to go."

Redtail sucked in a long breath. "We need cats to defend the camp; Not everyone can go, Willowpelt. We also need cats to help keep these kits warm- it's already snowing, but, Greypaw, I guess you can come along as well, as long as you're on your best behavior." His hazel gaze then fell upon Darkstripe, who didn't appear particularly interested in what Redtail had to say.

"Darkstripe is on apprentice's duties as a result of breaking the code and potentially being the cause of Poppydawn's death. Bluestar isn't lightening up on this sentence, so neither will I. is that all?"

Sandstorm shuffled forward this time, meeting Redtail's curious gaze with a sort of determination. "I'm staying here, with my sister. Until she heals. I understand the importance of the gathering, but quite frankly, Rosetail's well-being is more important to me. I'm sorry."

Redtail dipped his head, finding that a worthy enough explanation. "Very well. Keep her safe." He smiled when he saw Sandstorm smirk, just barely. 

"All right, it's settled then. The meeting is-"

"Wait!"

Redtail blinked, and then his gaze met Brindleface's.

"I'm coming!" The tortoiseshell yelled, "I have a bone to pick with Shadowclan. I need to be there. I need to speak with Brokenstar, or whoever arranged that my kits be stolen, and decided that Thrushpelt had to die for this. I'm sorry, Redtail; I don't care what you say."

When Redtail didn't immediately respond, she continued. "Every clan knows not to kill on the Battlefield. I don't know if Riverclan was responsible for Fuzzypelt's death, but I know Shadowclan killed Thrushpelt. I know they stole my kits! Gatherings are a time for discussion, and this has to be discussed."

"Gatherings are a time for the clans to speak to each other, peacefully. Brindleface, I don't think you're in that state of mind."

Brindleface snarled at him, "Oh, I'll be peaceful."

Redtail gave his head a little tilt. "Brindleface, I'm serious."

The molly moved forward out of the nursery and towards the crowd, but Whitecloud stopped her from going any further. "So am I! Shadowclan has done a serious wrong, and they need to pay for it!"

"And we will make sure they do that, but causing strife at a gathering is forbidden. I will discuss with Brokenstar beforehand to see if I can't negotiate an exchange, or-"

" _Exchange?"_

"I would prefer to get Ashkit and Fernkit back into Thunderclan without any fighting done," Redtail reasoned, trying and mostly failing to keep his tone even.

Before brindleface could argue further, Whitecloud interrupted. "Brindleface, I want you to stay here with me, please. We ought to help watch Frostfur's kits. I assure you that Redtail and Leopardfoot can handle this issue."

Spottedleaf spoke up, too, "you got injured in the fight, too, and I want you here to recover."

"I'm not very assured," Brindleface snorted, and ignored spottedleaf's order, "We don't even know what they're doing to them!"

"The warrior code keeps us from hurting kits, as does any basic morality," Redtail argued.

"They also keep us from killing enemy cats on the battlefield, but they killed Thrushpelt! Riverclan killed Fuzzypelt!"

"We don't know that," Redtail said, "Look, Brindleface, I want this gathering to go smoothly. Bluestar told me not to fight with Shadowclan, and I intend to follow her orders. You must stay here. The meeting is over." 

When the crowd dispersed, Redtail jumped off the highledge, and caught Brindleface's crestfallen gaze. He held it for a moment, and frowned.

"We'll get them back," Redtail mewed softly, "I promised."

He'd give Shadowclan something they wanted, maybe. Or, a dangerous option would be to lie and get the kits back without having that cost thunderclan anything, but that would require skilled negotiators, and Redtail didn't particularly feel like dying. Prey would be drying up in the colder weather, too. If nothing else, when or if Bluestar came back a battle would be made and the clan would retrieve them by force. Redtail couldn't fathom what Shadowclan needed the kits for; They had plenty of warriors, even if much of them were getting older.

He took a deep breath, maybe Spottedleaf could help him.

She studied him when he made his way into the medicine den, in order to make sure his wounds from the fight weren't infected, if he had to guess. 

"I may or may not have spoken to Mudfur last night," she started, "about the dream. I got anxious, but, he said that neither he nor any of Riverclan have had a similar dream."

"Tigerclaw said that everyone was screaming at him. The same cats who were crying at me, that told me 'he' was a liar. I don't know if it's referring to Tigerclaw, or someone else. Tigerclaw seemed remorseful when I brought it up." 

Spottedleaf gave a small nod, and looked away from her brother. "For safety's sake, we're going to assume that it is him. Do not tell Leopardfoot; I worry enough about her mental condition. Does this dream have any connection to Thrushpelt and Fuzzypelt?"

Redtail gave her a strange look, "No? Thrushpelt and Fuzzypelt's death's were hardly related. They were killed by different clans, at different times of day, in different places, and their causes of death were different. The only thing they share is a suffix, spottedleaf."

She stared at him. Redtail's fur rippled.

"We don't know if they were really killed by Riverclan or Shadowclan, though, do we?"

Redtail tried to remember how their bodies' smelled before they died. It was a mixture of Riverclan, Shadowclan, and Thunderclan, respectively. Fuzzypelt had the misfortune of smelling rotten. They were both killed during battle, and as such no particular cats' scent lingered on the bodies- just a mixture. They also both looked like they were pushed. Fuzzypelt had those strange claw marks at his shoulders, and Thrushpelt had his neck broken before he was dragged off, if Redtail had to guess.

"No," he murmured. 

"Tigerclaw told me that he recognized his mother's voice in the dream," Spottedleaf said after a long while, "She was sobbing, apparently, but he couldn't make out what she said."

Redtail stared at his paws. "So, Tigerclaw is going to kill me? And he might've killed Fuzzypelt and Thrushpelt?"

Spottedleaf gave the smallest of nods, "Yes, I believe so."

She jerked awkwardly then, to bury her head in Redtail's chest fur. "I don't want to lose you." 

"I don't want for you to go through that," Redtail replied. He supposed that he could accept it given time, but he would have to plan around it; That didn't mean cats wouldn't be affected by his death. Some selfish part of him hoped they would miss him.

Spottedleaf straightened out, "Bluestar went to the moonpool for Firepaw's sake, you know. That, and she told me she thinks that Shadowclan's attack is some kind of omen."

Redtail hummed, "What do you think?"

"I agree that Firepaw should learn of the Four and how our beliefs work, but i don't think the attack yesterday meant anything other than we must keep an eye on Shadowclan, and keep yellowfang safe. She's important."

Redtail studied his sister for a moment, "Why do you think she's important?"

his sister shuffled her paws, "Well, in short- Thunderclan could always use another medicine cat, and she's got experience. She was a warrior before she became a medicine cat, so she can defend herself, Ravenpaw and I should we need it." She gave a little shrug, then, "That, and I think she's quite pretty."

Redtail made a confused noise, "I don't know how you find her pretty."

"Easy. I like older she-cats with scars." She jabbed at Redtail's sides, "I may or may not have had a crush on Leopardfoot. Might still have it, a little bit."

"Wow," Redtail laughed, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you haven't laughed in a while; I've also been meaning to tell you for a while. I think it runs in the family, actually. Brindleface was much older than you."

Redtail stared at her, "she's very pretty; That's all! We're just friends now, anyway."

"mmhm," Spottedleaf replied, "Anyway, who you love is not my business, unless you're looking to other clans for that sort of thing. I'm going to find Ravenpaw and see if I can't get any more moss before it dies in the snow; You can leave now, if you want."

Redtail bowed his head, "Thank you, for everything." All spottedleaf did was smile.

He felt some warm feeling despite the freezing cold when he exited the den. The majority of the clan was huddled up together now, talking quietly amongst themselves or grooming each other. Redtail knew that clanmates had their spats occasionally, but in the end they were like a family unit.

That reminded him of something important, actually.

"Dustcloud?" He called, "May I speak with you?"

The black tabby looked at him abruptly, then he apologized to Sandstorm and bounded back towards the deputy. "Of course, what do you need?"

"I have a surprise; It's a good one, I think. Come with me."

Dustcloud didn't argue, just gave a small dip of his head before he followed Redtail through the North entrance. The two of them scrambled up a pine tree afterwards, and decided that leaping from branch to branch was more effective and better than leaping through the piles of snow, even if they got whacked with pine needles occasionally. Dustcloud slowed his pace significantly when he saw that they were near sunningrocks, however, and didn't join Redtail on the ground when the deputy leaped off of a tree.

"Redtail, Riverclan owns sunningrocks right now." Dustcloud whispered

"I know. We're just visiting and asking for someone. Just make sure that your body language is passive, and they should get the point."

Redtail waited for the warrior to join him before he proceeded, and soon the cats surrounding the sunningrocks turned to look at them warily. Redtail immediately recognized Skyheart and Carpfang among the crowd, along with Silverpaw. Breamheart, Leopardfur, Shellstream, and Shadepaw glared at them among their odd semicircle. 

"State your business." Breamheart called.

"May I borrow Silverpaw? She and I had talked earlier."

Breamheart seemed reluctant to let his niece go, but Silverpaw quickly bounded through the snow. "I know why he's here! Hello, Redtail! Dustpaw," she greeted warmly.

Redtail watched as the rest of the riverclan cats resumed....whatever they were doing and then he turned his gaze to the young apprentice, "He is Dustcloud now."

Silverpaw beamed, "oh, congratulations! Anyway! When I met redtail a few days ago to help with Fuzzypelt, I brought up that I wouldn't mind finding some feathers and gifts. You know, for his grave. It's the least I can do!"

Dustcloud couldn't bring himself to speak for a long time, and made a noise between sobbing and laughing. 

"Thank you...I really appreciate it.  You know you didn't have to do this, right?"

silverpaw nodded, "I wanted to. I think every cat deserves happiness, and I like helping out."  She looked from Redtail to Dustcloud, "I, uh, left them in my nest. Let me bring you there!"

Dustcloud managed an awkward smile before he followed the grey apprentice's lead. Redtail made up the rear of the group, stepping in the footsteps left ahead of him.

the river moved a bit slower this time, but the tide was up. It swallowed most of the stepping stones, and left the remaining ones wet or slick with ice.

"Silverpaw, I don't want to risk swimming in that water, it's too cold. We might fall in if we use the stepping stones."

Silverpaw nodded, "no worries. There's actually this branch not too far from here. I don't know how it got there, but it should work."

redtail 'hmmed' in reply, somewhat surprised that the thick branch that he and thrushpelt had grabbed was still functioning as a bridge. Silverpaw made it across quickly, followed by Dustcloud, and finally Redtail, who stopped to look at his reflection for a brief moment.

it was remarkably clear water, and he could see plants move along with the current. When Redtail turned to join the group, he caught the mirror image bleeding red. He looked back quickly, and found that his neck bore a huge wound, as if his throat had been torn out. Redtail scrunched his nose up, and didn't hesitate in jumping away. 

He had never had a vision from starclan when he was awake. Unless that was some kind of hallucination. Redtail wasn't sure of himself anymore. He shook his head- now was not the time to think about his death.

he smiled at Dustcloud when he gave the deputy a concerned look.

"I thought I saw something, is all." Redtail whispered. Dustcloud didn't respond, only rubbed against his mentor's side briefly.

"Okay, we're here," Silverpaw called, her voice strained with fatigue after the trip, "I'll go ahead and get it. Stay here." 

When Silverpaw left, Dustcloud turned to Redtail, "what did you see?"

"I...I can't say."

"I won't be upset."

redtail frowned. He was pretty sure Dustcloud would be, if he was told that his mentor was going to die in the near future. 

"Starclan has just been...telling me something. I don't know how to...accept it."

"am I allowed to know?"

"I...suppose," redtail sighed, "I had a dream a few night ago. There were so many cats screaming at me...then we got surrounded by thorns, thistles and everything. I drowned, I think. The water was bloody. Tigerclaw had a similar dream."

dustcloud's whiskers twitched. "So...you're going to drown? You're both going to drown? Just don't go near water."

"I don't think it's that simple, Dustcloud; I-"

before the black tabby could rebuke, Silverpaw returned. She had a magpie feather in her mouth, along with several robin feathers. 

She dropped them gingerly at dustcloud's paws. "I got these for you. Redtail mentioned fuzzypelt to me, and I wanted to help you out. Take these- a gift from riverclan. I hope fuzzypelt is at peace."

dustcloud smiled softly, and gently pressed his forehead against the she-cat's. "Thank you very much. I will not forget this."

Silverpaw smiled, "neither will I."

Redtail dipped his head, "will you be at the gathering tomorrow?"

"absolutely!" Silverpaw exclaimed.  "Most of riverclan is, actually. With the exception of Skyheart, you know. And Mallowtail...a few others."

"We'll see you there," Dustcloud said amiably. 

"We ought to go now, before we freeze. Be well, Silverpaw." Redtail gave his good-bye and made his way back with Dustcloud and the gifts in tow. Redtail crossed the makeshift bridge and refused to comment on how ridiculous Dustcloud looked with his mouth stuffed with feathers.

 Suddenly, Dustcloud bursted ahead of him and stopped right in front of Redtail's path. He dropped the feathers, and quickly put a paw on them so they wouldn't blow away. When Redtail's stared at him, bewildered, Dustcloud frowned.

"What did Starclan tell you?"

Redtail's throat clenched. "It is not your business."

"You're my deputy! You were my mentor; You're my friend. Please." Dustcloud pleaded.

Redtail looked away, looking at nothing but the bright, white snow and the fog of his breath that passed him. "I don't know how long I'm going to live. Starclan was warning me against someone- a tom. I couldn't recognize who....but...Tigerclaw had the same dream. The figures who warned me were sobbing and yelling at him. I think the whole drowning thing was because I was by the river."

"So is Tigerclaw going to...?"

"We haven't figured it out yet. I've talked to Spottedleaf."

"What if you don't have the time to figure it out?"

Redtail let out an exasperated sigh, and then looked back up at Dustcloud. "I don't know."

Dustcloud gave the tiniest of nods and grabbed his gift, before turning away from him and bolting back into camp. Redtail trailed slowly after him, but soon Tigerclaw rushed to his side.

"I thought you were on a patrol with Leopardfoot?" 

"I was!" Tigerclaw snapped. He gestured towards his mother with his tail, "We were. We went past the great Sycamore- Yellowfang isn't there. She isn't anywhere nearby."

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry (again) for the late update. College started. I'm not stopping updates but they will be infrequent. I hope you continue to enjoy my writing, however. Thank you guys so much for reading and leaving kudos.

"We just escorted her to the Great Sycamore!" Redtail hissed, bewildered.

"Why didn't you get her back?" Robinwing asked, her gaze resting on Leopardfoot. "What happened?"

Leopardfoot gave a slight incline of her head, "Something died- there was the smell of shadowclan nearby, as well as the smell of carrion. I didn't want to risk our lives."

Robinwing seemed satisfied with the explanation. She turned towards Redtail, "Okay. So what are we going to do?"

Redtail swung his head around to gaze at the current state of Thunderclan. There were many injured from last night's attack, but most of them were likely able to fight again if the situation called for it- and it might. Redtail had an idea. 

"We'll split into three groups. I'm going to try and get Brindleface's litter back." He announced, and then focused on Leopardfoot, "Take Falconrush, Robinwing, and Lionheart with you. You all will stay on the ground as scouts. The other two groups will act as a way for ambush. Dustcloud, you lead the second group in the trees, and will stay to the right side of Leopardfoot's group at all times until I give the signal. Take Birchtail, Patchpelt, and Willowpelt with you."

Dustcloud gave a nod, and Redtail continued, "I will lead the third group. I want Thistleclaw, Tigerclaw, and Mousefur. I'll be joining Leopardfoot on the ground when we get there; We will be to Leopardfoot's left. The rest of you will stay and guard the camp. The signal will be- I'll wave my tail from left to right horizontally. Leopardfoot- lead the way."

Cats quickly moved to rearrange themselves into the proper groups, and Leopardfoot lead the charge north towards the Great Sycamore. Dustcloud and Redtail sprang after her, with their groups climbing into the trees once they climbed up the camp's ravine. The snow slowed down their journey, and the visibility wasn't much better as the cats were pelted continuously with snow.

Redtail jumped from branch to branch with little difficulty, occasionally sparing a glance at Robinwing and Leopardfoot's groups. He cast a glance over his shoulder, and only Mousefur was directly behind him- Thistleclaw and Tigerclaw were about a tree or so behind. 

"should we stop?" Mousefur shouted. 

"No. They will catch up later- you guys won't be joining Leopardfoot on the ground for a while yet."

It was getting hard to leap from branch to branch now, as the distance between trees grew longer and longer. At least now they were mostly deciduous and offered more camouflage for his warriors.  Redtail called for his and Dustcloud's group to stay put when some of Shadowclan's cats came into view. There were none of the rogues they brought to infiltrate the camp yesterday.

It was a smaller group, but this time Brokenstar was among them, as well as, oddly enough, Greypaw and Ravenpaw. Redtail caught Leopardfoot's gaze, and he urged her onward. It would be fantastic to get Yellowfang and maybe Brindleface's kits without too much of a conflict. If necessary, Thunderclan would fight. It would be five Shadowclan cats against the vast majority of Thunderclan. Redtail liked his odds.

Leopardfoot was the first to confront Brokenstar, with Blackfang, Russetclaw, Snowrush, and Nightpelt at his side. He watched Leopardfoot gesture to a body that he couldn't recognize, and also towards Yellowfang, who stood over the deceased cat. It quickly rose into a shouting match when Blackfang said something, and Falconrush retaliated. Redtail squinted, trying to identify what was happening, but decided to bound down the tree and join Leopardfoot on the ground now, before Falconrush got hurt.

Blackfang snorted, lifting up a swollen paw, "I told you that Thunderclan isn't here to do Shadowclan's job. We're here for Yellowfang; It looks like she's taken the life of this Queen. We'll save you the trouble and take her, now."

"I saw them drag Dawncloud here." Ravenpaw whispered, gesturing to Brokenstar. Greypaw shuffled in front of his friend when Snowrush glared at him.

"Dawncloud's been dead for a while now. The birds have been pickin' at her," Yellowfang spat, "or your nose ain't working. Are her kits alive?"

It...it certainly was an overpowering smell. The smell of rotting flesh was far more overpowering than Fuzzypelt's smell had been. Dawncloud certainly wasn't here yesterday when the clan escorted Yellowfang to the Great Sycamore. Her kits were still alive as far as he knew, so Redtail wondered how the queen got herself in this situation; It was gruesome, and he didn't want to imagine another cat murdering her. It certainly wouldn't land you in Starclan, or in anyone's good graces. Given the fact that Dawncloud wasn't here yesterday, and Yellowfang was in the camp all day that day, there was no way it was her. He didn't want to think about Shadowclan murdering one of their own, so he stored that thought away into the deep recesses of his mind.

"I can tell you with certainty that she hasn't," Redtail explained, "Yellowfang was in our camp all day yesterday- the day you attacked us. We made sure of it."

"Dawncloud's been dead for a while, though." Snowrush muttered, "You don't know what she's done. She killed Raggedstar, too."

"What about her kits?" Leopardfoot asked, bowing her head down next to the fallen queen's in prayer. "Tell me her kits are alive."

Russetclaw had been sitting several meters back, "Briarwhisker just gave birth not too long ago. She's been nursing the remaining kits. We...we cannot locate the bodies of Foxkit and Avocetkit, but Hollykit and Morningkit are alive and well; Thank you for the concern, Leopardfoot."

"The only Shadowclan warrior with some decency," Robinwing hissed under her breath. 

"Good. That gives me some peace of mind. I'm sorry for your loss." Leopardfoot nodded towards the red tabby.

Blackfang persisted, "That doesn't matter. She still killed Raggedstar. She had his blood on her paws."

Brokenstar studied Redtail for a while, and then glanced over the trees, and then spoke with a low voice, "Where's Bluestar, hm? Did Applefur really injure her that much?" The ginger leader took several steps toward Redtail. "She took a life or two of hers. Too bad you weren't there to see it. We could've wiped your entire clan out, boy."

"You weren't there," was all Redtail could manage to say while he kept his voice devoid of the rage that coursed through his veins.

"Word gets around in the forest," Brokenstar spoke up, and paced in a small circle around him, "Thunderclan has been pitiful ever since Poplarstar, and Pinestar after her." His head jerked sharply toward Leoparfoot, "and you chose him as your mate. No wonder your kits died. It was a bad omen for all of you. It's a wonder how Tigerclaw is even alive, or your sisters, even."

"Leave Thunderclan's past out of this." Leopardfoot demanded evenly, meeting Brokenstar's gaze. 

"Thunderclan will never change. You lot barely live longer than our young warriors, and by Starclan! Poplarstar only lived for fourteen sunrises. Tsk, Ought to make smarter decisions," Brokenstar merely blinked at Leopardfoot, and then turned his attention directly back to Redtail.

"You will be no different," Brokenstar remarked, coming to a stop with his face a whisker's away from Redtail's. Redtail had to refrain from shrinking back- his glare was intense, and his breath smelled hideous. He could hear his heart thumping in his ears.

"We'll be keeping Yellowfang." Was all Redtail said. He hoped that Brokenstar would retaliate, and not just leave. As cruel as it sounded, he needed Yellowfang for bait.

"can't we just kill them?" Snowrush hissed. Brokenstar silenced her with a flick of his tail. 

"I'm afraid we can't let you do that. There's a crime if you kill a queen and her kits, as I'm sure you're aware. She also murdered my father. It's a wonder that Starclan hasn't erased her from existence."

"you know damn well that only happens if a leader kills anyone higher-up than a Queen, right?" Robinwing hissed, carefully placing herself in front of Ravenpaw. 

"You've just been getting your lackeys to do your dirty work. Dawncloud's death was your doing, wasn't it?"

yellowfang sniffed. "Finally, someone gets me."

 Brokenstar didn't move from his spot right in front of Redtail, and didn't shift his gaze. "Hmm. Starclan won't do anything. Them 'erasing' leaders from existence is simply a myth that elders tell kits.  And no, Robinwing, I assure you that I'm plenty involved with what I do in Shadowclan. It's not my fault that Thunderclan was so easy to infiltrate, and that this queen was on death's door."

"He admitted it," Greypaw whispered, but Redtail thankfully didn't see the Shadowclan cats react.

Brokenstar side-eyed Dawncloud's body, "why, I'm doing you a favor. Less mouths to feed...your management is poor, which is why I was generously trying to get Bluestar and your pretty tortoiseshell friend here out of the way. Like I said, Thunderclan is a disappointment. It'd take a miracle. Or, we could have it the easy way, and I could be the miracle you've been looking for."

"Redtail is more of a leader than you have ever been," Falconrush snapped, "and he hasn't gotten his nine lives yet."

there was some bickering among the cats, and then: "He never will. You cats never learn, do you?"

Redtail gave a long swish of his tail as he saw Brokenstar jerk abruptly towards him. Thunderclan cats burst out from the trees, and pinned the escaping Shadowclan cats down. Redtail was surprised when Brokenstar got off of him without much of a fight. 

"I like your style. Very prepared."

"thank you?" Redtail's ears twitched. He wasn't sure what to expect from shadowclan's leaders anymore. 

Before Redtail could say any more, he saw Blackfang and Mousefur roll around in the dirt, with a pacing Falconrush trying to break up the fight. Lionheart rushed in and yanked Blankfang away by his scruff. 

"Blackfang doesn't deserve to die," lionheart barked.

mousefur glared at him, trying to shove past her bigger brother. "He killed my father!" She screamed back.

"Ah, that. A necessary evil, that one. Terribly sorry, but we need Yellowfang. We won't let your little deputy out alive without her; like I said. Less mouths to feed." Brokenstar said it as if he were saying his own name. Redtail bared his teeth.

Mousefur froze at once. Falconrush quickly stepped to Redtail's side, as did Tigerclaw.

redtail gave a small nod. "All right, take her."

"Are you really serious?" Yellowfang snorted, ravenpaw rose to her defense.

"that's not fair! Redtail! that's not fair!"

brokenstar made a surprised noise in his throat. "Okay then. Pleasure doing business with you. Russetclaw, take her."

"On one condition." Redtail said.

Brokenstar tilted his head. Redtail cleared his throat.

"Give us Ashkit and Fernkit. Alive, and healthy."

"making me swim upriver, kid. I suppose we'll do it, just this once, for a pretty face. Snowrush, Nightpelt, go back to camp and fetch 'em."

no one moved or spoke until the other Shadowclan cats returned, struggling to carry the kits in such a way that they would not be covered in snow. Nightpelt plopped them at Redtail's paws. 

"There you go, happy?" Brokenstar hummed, shooing Nightpelt away.

"you'd better stay away from Thunderclan after this, Brokenstar, or we'll flay you." Thistleclaw warned.

"I don't particularly care one way or the other. I just want justice done, and that's what I intend to do."

Redtail leaned to whisper into Falconrush's ears. "Take Ashkit and Fernkit and run, Now."

"You don't even care if she's innocent, do you?" Redtail asked when Falconrush nodded. Redtail took a step forward when Brokenstar backed away.

"Of course I do. She's a valuable warrior and has experience in healing. But she murdered my father. Lured him in with some other Warriors' bodies, into a fox's den. You know the penalty for killing a leader, don't you?"

"We don't believe you," Redtail jerked his head to look at Robinwing, "Robinwing, take Mousefur, Ravenpaw and Yellowfang, now." 

Snowrush moved to try and snag Robinwing before she could fulfill her orders, but Leopardfoot pinned the smaller molly to the ground. Tigerclaw pounced on Blackfang when the deputy wrangled himself out of Lionheart's grip, and Falconrush bolted out of Brokenstar's way, with Ashkit and Fernkit somehow both in his mouth. He jumped over Redtail to escape Brokenstar's outstretched claws, which landed squarely on Redtail's shoulders instead.

Redtail hissed as his shoulders collided awkwardly into the snow and ground, and then he could only see a solid blanket of white. He flared his arms out in an attempt to grab something and hoist himself up, but all he found were sharp claws battering him away. The deputy thrashed around in Brokenstar's grasp, and eventually he made some sort of progress, with his haunches sticking up from the snow; This wasn't much help, since Brokenstar was focused on attacking his front side, and it was also pretty embarrassing.

 Someone did come to his rescue, sprinting into Brokenstar's side and freeing Redtail. The tortoiseshell tom took a moment to catch his breath before joining his ally against Brokenstar. 

"You're outnumbered!" Dustcloud spat as he landed several blows along the larger tom's sides. Redtail swung around to face Brokenstar, and lashed out at his forehead, hoping that if he couldn't see, that the shadowclan cats would retreat. His claws caught the tom's gums, however, and Redtail shivered as he felt the strangest sensation as Brokenstar tried to free his mouth from the stabbing pain. Redtail wrenched his paws free, and flicked blood from his paws.

"Get out." Redtail glared at Brokenstar, who glared up at him as blood pooled in his mouth and dribbled onto the snow.

"Redtail, you are putting your clan in great danger," Nightpelt warned, his voice raspy as he struggled to breathe after the fight. "Shadowclan will come back to take her, and We'll...they'll kill anyone."

Redtail glanced from Russetclaw to Nightpelt. "We can handle it. We forced you to retreat yesterday."

"But at what cost?" Brokenstar slurred, purposefully sending droplets of bloody saliva onto Redtail's face. 

"I guess we'll have to wait and see. Leave, now."

brokenstar let out a curt laugh before turning tail, the rest of his group following him. Russetclaw stayed to carry Dawncloud's remains upon her shoulders.

"Is everyone okay?" Redtail called, surveying his warriors. 

"Tigerclaw wrenched his shoulder," Leopardfoot yelled back, not removing herself from her son's side. "You were pushed into the ground pretty hard, too, Redtail. Talk to Spottedleaf before nightfall."

Redtail moved his shoulders in a half-hearted semicircle. They definitely were sore, but probably better off than Tigerclaw's. Redtail waited for any other potential report, but nothing came. He ordered his cats to head back home and return to their duties there.

"You saved me back there," Redtail told Dustcloud when he joined him at his side, "Again. I appreciate it."

"We all have to help in whatever way we can. Thunderclan is my family."

"Waxing poetic on me. Are you sure you aren't older than me somehow?"

"No. It was something that Silverpaw told me, actually. At a gathering."

redtail nodded. "Oh, I see. is this your first crush, then?"

Dustcloud stopped in his tracks. "No. No! Absolutely not. She's my friend. I...have my eye on someone else."

Redtail turned to look at him, and smiled warmly. "Oh?"

"I like Sandstorm's spirit. We grew up together. We're seeing if we might...get along together, actually."

Redtail's smile faded for a half-second. "You and Sandstorm are polar opposites. She likes calmer cats? I would've thought she'd be after someone similar to herself. You know...ambitious."

"I guess she doesn't want her life to be all energetic, you know? I don't know, we're both young and figuring this out. It's not like...we're not having kits anytime soon. Maybe never, even."

"A fair choice. Let me know how it goes, even if it goes up in flames."

"of course I will." Dustcloud smiled fondly, rubbing against Redtail's mottled sides. Redtail could hear Greypaw's amused chuckle. 

"You fought well, Greypaw. I saw how you were fighting Nightpelt back there, and he's an experienced warrior."

greypaw beamed and stuck his chest out a bit. "I'm glad you think so. Does this mean I'm getting my warrior name?"

"not for some time, my friend." Lionheart said, cuffing his apprentice on the ears softly.

"How'd you sneak out before we got there, anyway? Where was Ravenpaw?" Redtail asked. 

Greypaw froze. "Oh. Uh, Ravenpaw didn't want you guys to hurt Yellowfang, so he went....and I went with him. Sorry. Should've told someone."

"Yea, you should have!" Willowpelt snapped, joining her son in stride, "I saw you out there! I thought they'd hurt you! What in Starclan's name were you thinking?"

Leopardfoot nudged her sister softly, "Let him make mistakes."

Willowpelt turned to face her, her teeth bared for a moment. "What would you know, Leopardfoot? Your kits died, and Tigerclaw is reckless!"

"Hey! That wasn't her damn fault! She did the best that she could! And you're the one to talk- hell, Darkstripe barely acknowledges you, and he just barely cares about us!" Patchpelt hissed, but Leopardfoot glued her eyes to her paws as she walked. 

"You barely parent Birchtail, Patchpelt! I'm the only one out of the three of us who actually stepped up to parenthood! I don't know what you two were thinking-"

"That's enough," Redtail barked, "I expect you to behave better, Willowpelt. I understand your son made a faulty decision, but this does not mean you get to insult your two sisters. I expect more from you."

Willowpelt glared back at him, but said nothing.

"I'm sorry," Greypaw said quietly, "It was probably pretty stupid of me, but I couldn't just let him go on his own like that, when I saw him go."

Lionheart nodded, "A good warrior is there to protect his clan. You did the right thing, but tell one of us first; You're still a young apprentice."

"Gotcha."

It took several minutes for them to reach the north entrance again, as they were all travelling by foot now; It was easier to keep track of his cats that way. That, and he didn't want to make any existing injuries worse. At least the incoming cold weather would get rid of most of the bugs. Redtail stopped to count a census before allowing the groups to return to whatever they wished, and quickly sending Willowpelt, Thistleclaw, and Birchtail on a hunting patrol. Hopefully he wouldn't have to ration off food so soon.

Brindleface and Whitecloud greeted him when he pushed past the brambles at the entrance. Brindleface looked like she was just about to break down sobbing.

"Thank you, thank you so much." She whispered hoarsely. "I know I snapped at you earlier- I still think Shadowclan needs to be beaten into the ground for this, by the way- but you really...pulled it off. You got everyone back. They're both healthy, and now they're back here, thanks to you."

"It means a lot to the both of us." Whitecloud purred, flinging his tail around as Ashkit and Fernkit tried to clumsily chase after it.

"It's the least I can do for you," Redtail said. "They look really healthy."

Brindleface snorted. "Yes, Spottedleaf did tell me that I was lucky. I'm probably pretty old by now, but hey, I'll take it as a sign that I'm in Starclan's good graces. You look worse for wear though, did everything go okay? Did we lose anyone?"

"No, luckily," Redtail nodded, gesturing to Tigerclaw quickly, "Tigerclaw and I escaped with some battered shoulders, but we'll be fine with some rest, I think. I think I ought to put Willowpelt on some extra patrols though. She snapped at Leopardfoot and Patchpelt, earlier."

Whitecloud tilted his head, "My mother? Did she do something? What'd Willowpelt say?"

"Leopardfoot wouldn't do anything to her clanmates, you know that," Redtail looked sharply upwards to meet Whitecloud's blue-and-amber gaze, "Willowpelt just...insisted that Leopardfoot was a poor parent, for, uh. her kits' deaths. And then insisted Patchpelt was a bad mother for not having a strong connection to Birchtail."

Whitecloud frowned, "What? That's a foolish superstition for her to have- Leopardfoot had no say in whether my siblings live or die. They were awfully sick, and it was thanks to her that Tigerclaw and I lived past kithood at all."

Brindleface wiped a paw over her face, "Willowpelt's been snappy ever since Greypaw became an apprentice. I think she's just jealous. I'll try talking to her, though. She likes me."

"That would help me out a lot. Thank you, Brindleface. You too, Whitecloud."

"Anytime," The white warrior answered, though he was delayed as his kits were focused on trying to gnaw through his tail. "Sharp teeth. Anyway, don't go to bed tonight without seeing your sister. I'm sure she's worried sick about you."

"She'll worry herself to death over me if she gets the chance. I'm sure she's also worried about Yellowfang. Did Robinwing make it back okay?"

"She did," Brindleface said, "She wanted to speak with you, actually. She sounded upset. She's probably in the medicine den, too, if I had to guess- with Ravenpaw. You know how he is."

Redtail let out a sigh, "It happens. Thanks again. I'm happy to see that your kits are well." Redtail smiled when Fernkit mewled at him, and tried to smack his tail as well. Brindleface had to step in and hold her daughter back with her paw. He chuckled as he moved past the (now dead) vines that dangled over the medicine den's entrance. He greeted Robinwing, Tigerclaw and Ravenpaw quickly, but Spottedleaf was nowhere to be found. Neither was Yellowfang.

Something akin to dread settled in his chest. Which was probably unfounded, since his sister was likely just out to fetch some water.

"She went to talk to Leopardfoot, near the gravesites. Again. I put Yellowfang back in the Elder's den." Robinwing supplied.

"Oh," Redtail said. "Yeah. You can keep her there for now. I'll think of somewhere to keep her so that Shadowclan doesn't try to invade again."

"What happened? is Leopardfoot okay?" Tigerclaw demanded.

"Willowpelt snapped at her earlier; She'll be okay. Why don't you go see her...and bring Spottedleaf back with you? I need to talk to her."

Tigerclaw dipped his head and sprinted outside into the snow. Redtail couldn't see him once the tabby was five feet outside his vision. Robinwing stepped back to let Ravenpaw examine Redtail for a while, but she pretty much hovered over her son's shoulders. 

"Your shoulder looks fine. I think. I don't know." The black apprentice awkwardly jabbed down at Redtail's shoulders, causing Redtail to wince at the pain. "Oh. Sorry."

"It's okay. You're new to this." Redtail murmured, shuffling away. 

"When do I get my warrior name? Can you do that? Dustcloud got his!"

"Well...no, I can't. Only leaders can do that. And medicine cats handle things differently. You'd have to ask my sister."

Ravenpaw stared at the ground, his tailtip flickering. "This is going to take forever."

Robinwing rested her head on her son's shoulders. "It's just a name. You'll make for a great medicine cat, I'm sure. You've only been one for....a few sunrises, at most. I'm so proud of you. I bet Fuzzypelt is, too."

"Uh huh."

Suddenly, Spottedleaf's head came poking in through the vine curtain, and the rest of her body followed suit shortly after. "Situation's taken care of. She's glad that Tigerclaw's there. Ravenpaw, why don't you take a look on the rest of the elders, and then check up on Yellowfang again for me. Tell her to bathe- she smells awful."

"Tell her exactly that?" Ravenpaw asked, bewildered. When Spottedleaf nodded, the apprentice looked away and sighed. "Okay. It's my funeral, I guess."

"I'll go with him. I'll be outside the Elder's den." Robinwing muttered as Spottedleaf gestured for her to leave. "Don't forget to talk to me after you're done, Redtail."

When Spottedleaf was sure everyone had left, she turned to face her brother. "Okay, so here's the deal. So I think we both know that Shadowclan was directly responsible for that Queen's death, but Brokenstar himself did not do it."

"but...he really sounded like he did it."

"Maybe he planned it, but Starclan wouldn't let him get away with such a thing. They'd take his lives away."

Redtail blinked. "I...What? They can do that?"

Spottedleaf shrugged, "Yeah. In return for nine lives, a leader must swear by a commitment to the Warrior Code. The punishment for a major offense, murder, assault....is death."

"I've...never heard of this before."

"Not many cats have, to the point where it's just a tale older cats' use to get their children to shut up and do some more work. But Starclan will take the lives they gave a leader, and return them to Starclan." Spottedleaf said this like it was no big deal. Redtail stared back at her. "Speaking of lives. I've got some news."

"Okay?"

Spottedleaf's gaze flickered from her paws and back up to her brother's eyes several times. "Well...Bluestar only has one left."

"I. uh. How do you know this."

Spottedleaf smacked him softly, "Wow, it's almost like I have to talk to our leader as part of my job, who would have thought!"

"Apparently not me," Redtail meowed, "So...what am I supposed to do with this information."

"Stay alive. That's all your clan can ask of you."

Redtail let out a heavy sigh, "Starclan told me I could die soon, Spottedleaf. I don't even know if I can promise you that. But...Bluestar said that Leopardfoot would succeed me if something happened to me, right?"

"I...don't think Leopardfoot is in the right headspace for that right now," Spottedleaf admitted, "and she probably would make her deputy, if she is still alive if and when you die. Anyway. You might have to go to the Moonstone soon. You'll be given nine lives. but you'll need to prepare yourself for the fact that...when your nine lives are given to you, when you die, you won't see them in Starclan."

Redtail blinked. "Oh. So if mum gives me a life...I won't see her when I die?"

Spottedleaf gave a slow shake of her head. "No. She would give her life up to you, quite literally."

The deputy sucked in a breath. "Okay."

"They also, uh...take your current life away- don't panic yet!- you won't lose your memories. They just...get rid of withstanding illnesses, exhaustion, and unease. And replace it with the life and memories of nine cats."

"That's terrifying."

"Do you want to step down?"

Redtail thought about it. He never truly wanted the position, but he wasn't complaining either. He did like to lead, but he really was content with just about everything. But the idea of permanence, and that all of his loved ones would likely give him lives...he wouldn't be able to see them after he died. Would he be alone? He was just kind of...pushing into the dark, here.

"I have to do this for them." Redtail said at last, "I can do this."

"I'm proud of you. I'll be keeping tabs on you, about Bluestar."

"You always do."

Ravenpaw must have been waiting for their conversation to end, because when Spottedleaf stopped talking, he poked his muzzle through the curtain. "Hi. Yellowfang said she was gonna smack you, Spottedleaf.  I mean, she went to bathe, but I don't know if she meant it? The elders are fine, though?"

Spottedleaf laughed, "Okay. That was about the response I was expecting. Thank you so much. Redtail, go see Robinwing and be careful with your shoulders. Ravenpaw, why don't you take a break and see your brother? You two don't get to talk much anymore."

Ravenpaw beamed, and almost ran into Redtail as he moved to get to Dustcloud, who sat with Sandstorm and Mousefur. Redtail nodded when Dustcloud smiled at him, and both toms continued on their way. Robinwing beckoned him over, so Redtail sat next to her. She scared him half to death when she moved abruptly to start grooming him.

"Dustcloud's been out a lot lately," Robinwing said, her voice muffled with fur, "Have you heard anything odd out of him?"

"Nothing interesting. Well, outside of him trying to court Sandstorm, that is."

"What?" Robinwing stopped with her task to stare at the deputy, her tongue stuck slightly out of her mouth. When Redtail snickered, she spoke again. "He never tells me anything anymore, that boy."

"Do you...not like Sandstorm?"

"Oh, no. She's a good warrior. Talks too much sometimes, but she reminds me of myself when I was younger. I just. Look, I don't know how much time I have on this damn place. I want to have as much time with my sons as possible. I've done all I've wanted. Had a family, a loving mate, had a brief stint as deputy...was a medicine cat apprentice for like, a few days. It was fun."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. Cloudleaf hated me. Got replaced with Goosenose. I caused too much trouble. Pinestar had me as deputy briefly, but then I decided to focus on Fuzzypelt. That, and I realized that I was just stuck doing almost everything for him." 

Redtail blinked, not entirely remembering who those past medicine cats were. Pinestar left shortly after his birth, but the clan wouldn't shut up about him even when Redtail was made an apprentice. A leader had never stepped down before, let alone leave to be a kittypet of all things. Maybe Redtail was too judgemental.

"Besides, I would've died early if I had the same fate that Flamestar had. Poor soul. You know the tradition...Leader apprentices the deputies' kits? He never had the chance. Even Pinestar got to apprentice Rosetail before he did what he did."

Mistkit, Stonekit, and Mosskit were born shortly before Flamestar's death, he remembered. Leopardfoot probably would have been a lot happier had she not had to apprentice Mistpaw. Then again, Leopardfoot didn't really have to do any of that. Redtail frowned. There were plenty of capable warriors to choose from, and while Leopardfoot definitely was one of them, giving her Mistpaw was just...laying it on a bit thick, even for him. Bluestar didn't listen to him when he pointed it out.

"Did Leopardfoot ever do anything to Bluestar?" Redtail asked, returning his focus to Robinwing. 

 Robinwing sighed. "She was there when Snowfur died. Bluestar, Snowfur, and Leopardfoot had all been really good friends ever since kithood, but Leopardfoot couldn't save Snowfur, so Bluestar just...blames Leopardfoot. I don't think she does anymore, but I don't think their relationship can ever be really repaired."

"Please tell me Leopardfoot didn't kill Snowfur.."

"What?! No! She was hit by a monster while chasing a patrol with Thistleclaw."

Redtail let out a shaky breath. Robwinwing drew him in closer, for a sort of hug. "Hey, kid. Don't worry about everyone too much. Leopardfoot's a good cat. She's had it rough, and I desperately want her to heal, but you'll only drag yourself down with her if you invest in her health too much. I know it's hard, but you have to look out for everyone. Okay?"

Redtail licked his lips, "If you say so."

"I do say so."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while. Redtail wondered why he never got around to spending much time with Robinwing outside of typical warriors' duties. Eventually, warriors congregated around them, bringing in quiet chatter and warm fur to shield against the cold, harsh winds. When Leopardfoot eventually joined him by his side, her buried his head into her chest.

Maybe he didn't have much time left, but Thunderclan deserved every bit of his time that he had left. 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll learn to breathe deep, and make peace with the stars.


	11. Chapter 11

Redtail woke when the light of dawn shone through the warriors' den, along with a tepid breeze. He rose and stretched, almost kicking Leopardfoot in the process. He turned around to apologize, but closed his mouth when he realized that she was still asleep. He felt a warm sense of happiness when he saw Tigerclaw curled into a ball along his mother's stomach. He must've thought that no one would notice- not that it was a big deal to most warriors anyway.

He moved to exit the den, but felt someone prod at his sides.

"Redtail?"

He turned to look down at his friend, "Falconrush. You don't have to get up now. There are other warriors awake- I was just going to get a Dawn patrol going."

"I'll go with you. We haven't done something together since we were late apprentices," the spry cat hopped to his feet, and sprang over several warriors to get outside. Redtail smiled at him.

"Sounds fine by me."

The only other cats awake were the two pairs of sentries for the morning: Willowpelt, Rosetail, Sandstorm, and Darkstripe. Redtail ordered the four of them to go back to sleep, if they desired, and to grab four other warriors to guard the camp until the sun reached its zenith. Spottedleaf was also awake, but Redtail wasn't too surprised. He wouldn't be surprised if she never went to sleep. He never actually saw her go to bed. He wished that he had her energy.

"Should we grab another cat?" 

"No," Redtail responded, "The gathering is today. The clans are generally peaceful and happy around this time; We shouldn't have confrontations to deal with. We'll start with Riverclan, and end towards the Shadowclan border at the Thunderpath."

 Redtail remembers that Falconrush wanted to...hang out with him. This was a personal thing. Falconrush. Spending time with his best friend.

the two of them said nothing when they left camp, and let the sound of them bounding through the snow,which was almost as high as Redtail's chest, fill the air.

"Hey, you remember the games we used to play in leaf-bare when we were 'paws?"

redtail tilted his head, "I thought there was only the one...where we stood in the shallow part of the river until one of us backed out?"

"No, we also had the race to see who could reach the top of the sunningrocks fastest through snow and ice," Falconrush laughed, "I forgot about the river game actually. I remember spottedleaf pushing you in and you shrieking like a kit."

Redtail jabbed at him, "No one will ever let that go! I was going to win!"

"Yeah, sure. Also, I've never seen Leopardfoot so pissed before, so that was an interesting moment. I've only ever seen her act...sweet."

"I don't blame her. I did get really sick after that. She did too, actually. I mean, she had to swim into the rapids to rescue me."

"I still thought it was really fun. Anyway- we should do it again."

redtail looked at his friend quizzically, "Which one?"

"Well since sunningrocks belongs to Riverclan right now, why don't we do the river game? If I win, you have to answer a question for me."

redtail didn't answer until he was at the riverbank. He looked several times to make sure no Riverclan cats were around. "Sounds odd, but ok. If I win...you, uh. Catch me lunch."

the two toms stepped into the water, their fur rippling as frigid water washed over their paws. 

"This was a bad idea," Falconrush said through clenched teeth. Redtail swallowed and nodded.

"this was your bad idea," he responded.

falconrush looked at him with a sort of youthful mischievousness in his green eyes, "You agreed to it."

"caught me red-pawed."

"more like....red....tailed."

redtail flicked some water at Falconrush's chest. "That was awful."

They laughed at each other for a while, picking up individual paws because it was actually starting to get painful.

"Okay. So. I think you win," redtail admitted, stepping back into solid ground. It didn't help that the ground was also cold. Everything felt sharp.

falconrush batted at Redtail's ears.

"what was your question?" Redtail asked, watching Falconrush focus on something off in the distance. Or maybe he was just staring- Redtail didn't know.

"oh, right. So, uh. Well, I wanted to know if...you were looking into someone. And if...you were busy."

redtail met his gaze, and he suddenly felt very warm. Oh. 

"I guess I technically am looking into someone. Literally, as I speak."

No one laughed- it was a bad joke, and Falconrush was waiting for an actual answer. Redtail looked down at his paws.

"No, I think. I'm busy...because I've got a lot to do, but...I'm free for. Someone. Someone else."

Falconrush edged a little closer.

"Can I ask another question?"

redtail gave the smallest nod in his life, and his voice broke, "Yup."

"Can I be that someone else?"

redtail was expecting this. He just didn't expect it like...that. They had been friends since...Redtail could remember, and they'd always had each other's backs. Maybe it was only natural for him to feel this way.

"I think I'm okay with that, yeah." Redtail murmured, meeting Falconrush's elated gaze, "I didn't know that you...liked toms."

"I've uh. Always. Liked toms; I've always, uh, liked you. You're so- you're so pretty. You...you do so much for Thunderclan...I thought maybe I just was feeling a general compassion for you, like I do with the rest of Thunderclan," Falconrush paused, inching a bit closer. His nose was almost right up against Redtail's. He could feel his warm breath on his lips.

"I'm at least almost entirely certain that this goes beyond general compassion," Falconrush finished.

"You're sure that...you're not just looking for company because you lost Halftail and Thrushpelt?"

falconrush opened his mouth to object, but shut it sharply. A long silence passed between them, enough time for a passing riverclan patrol to stare at them from a distance before proceeding.

"I miss my dad, I do. I miss my mentor. But, I'm sure that these feelings aren't because of grief."

"okay, good." Redtail's voice dropped to a normal pitch, "what. What now?"

Falconrush shrugged, and grinned. "We still have to finish this patrol."

redtail nodded, and started moving. "Right. Also, what would you have done if I won the game instead? Were you seriously depending on winning that much?"

"Sort of? I was hoping you'd pick the racing game because I'm faster than you, but since you only wanted lunch out of it I figured I could have just. Asked you then. But it sounded more romantic in my head if I won, you know?"

redtail nodded. "It certainly was. Consider me wooed."

Falconrush chuckled.

"Mousefur won't let me live this down."

"does she..not support-"

"Of course she supports this! I just mean that she'll tease me until I die. Even then she'll still tease me."

They stopped to mark the borders, inching the border slightly closer; Riverclan had moved their border a bit backwards. It was perplexing. None of the Riverclan cats on the sunningrocks even batted an eye. 

When Falconrush joined him back at his side, they pressed against each other. Except this time, it meant more. Redtail pressed his cheek tentatively against Falconrush's shoulder.

Some Riverclan cats took notice of this and decided to tease them. Redtail decided that he didn't care.

"Redtail!"

Redtail jumped forwards, and his fur spiked up. He looked behind him, only to realize it was Silverpaw. His fur lied flat again.

"sorry for scaring you," she said meekly.

"you're fine. I just didn't hear you come up here. you saw that?"

"I saw you two in the river, and heard some of the conversation. What were you doing?"

"flirting," Falconrush answered. Redtail nudged him.

"Thunderclan cats have an odd way of flirting."

"no, that's just how Falconrush does it. How are you, Silverpaw?" 

"I'm fantastic! I caught...the biggest trout in my life. Big as...big as me! Which isn't that big, but I was proud of myself. It fed a lot of cats."

redtail smiled at her, "you should be proud, that's a great thing."

"I heard that Shadowclan came in the other day. Is everyone okay? You guys should've gotten us to help. We would have."

redtail frowned. "Well...Rosetail is worse for wear. Halftail and Thrushpelt...didn't make it."

silverpaw stopped every motion she was making. 

"Oh," she whispered, "that's...awful. I liked thrushpelt a lot. He was nice. Are stonepaw and mistpaw okay?"

this time Falconrush spoke, "Stonepaw's taking it a little better than his sister. Right now they're on a journey to the moonstone with their mother, and firepaw."

"okay, good....Firepaw?"

"I'll explain at the gathering," redtail said, "I'd love to chat more sometime, but I need to finish this patrol."

"that's okay! See you later, Redtail, Falconrush. Take care."

"you too." 

They watched her bound back to sunningrocks before they continued their journey. 

"What are we going to do with Yellowfang?

 Redtail stopped in his tracks, and looked up at Falconrush. "I...don't know. If we keep her in the camp, they'll come and hurt us, but if we leave her outside of our territory, we could lose her."

Falconrush rested his head on Redtail's, which kind of forced Redtail's face into his friend's chest. Not that either of them was complaining. 

"I have a really stupid idea." he said at last.

Redtail couldn't help but laugh, despite the sorrow that Silverpaw had brought up. He missed Thrushpelt's company and witty commentary. He missed the moments he witnessed with Thrushpelt's family, and all of that was gone. Halftail's death hit Mousefur and Falconrush hard as well especially since Thrushpelt was also Falconrush's mentor, and even if Falconrush was handling it better, Redtail wondered if he was trying to hide it. A lot of cats were trying to hide something from him lately, it seemed. 

"Tell me," Redtail breathed.

"Give her to Riverclan. Silverpaw said they'd help us, right? So...give her to Riverclan, give Riverclan something in return....and the problem's settled. We won't be repeatedly attacked because they won't be able to find her."

Redtail thought back on his sister's words, about how she viewed Yellowfang as an integral part of thunderclan. Important and useful. 

"I'll discuss it with Spottedleaf...probably Bluestar and the elders, too. I don't know, there's just a lot of risk involved." Redtail moved out of Falconrush's grasp, because at this point the dawn patrol would take them until noon, and Redtail had other things he needed to get to. 

"I know. That's ok. Are you going to tell the clan?"

"About...?"

Falconrush sped up to smack Redtail lightly, "Us."

Redtail kept walking, "Is it that important to you that the clan knows?"

"No! Well...maybe! I know you don't like to be too open about who you like, and that's cool! I just want to tell Mousefur. And One-eye. They'd be elated."

"They're your family. go for it."

Falconrush nodded. "Okay. just..wanted to let you know. Miscommunication, and all that."

Redtail took in a deep breath. Well, now that they were talking about miscommunication...it felt appropriate to talk about this kind of thing now. "I...There's something that you must know. before we actually, you know...do things."

Falconrush laughed at that, "Okay?"

"I. uh. Starclan came to me a few days ago, you know that odd dream I had?"

"Where you screamed and said you were drowning?"

Redtail looked away, "Yes, that one. Anyway...Spottedleaf thinks that...I could die soon. I mean- prophecies are warning and not concrete evidence, but. We still haven't figured out who's going to do it."

Falconrush stared at his paws. They didn't talk for a long time, not until they could hear monsters whizzing up and down the thunderpath.

"Wow. A lot's been happening lately, hasn't it? I mean. This doesn't change how I feel for you. but...someone's going to literally murder you? someone in this clan?"

"As far as I know, yes and yes...a tom."

Redtail took a step away from the Thunderpath as a monster passed by. He could see some Shadowclan cats on the other side, but that patrol didn't seem to notice. Redtail took a sharp breath, and ended up coughing due to the stench that smothered the air.

"Tigerclaw...uh, had a similar dream."

"Is he also going to die?" Falconrush asked, bewildered.

"No," Redtail whispered, "Spottedleaf thinks he's going to do it. That he's going to kill me, I mean."

"Then exile him," Falconrush said with such a calmness that Redtail was blown away.

"I can't- I don't have the power to do that," Redtail argued, "and even if I did, he hasn't done anything, we don't know if he'll do anything."

"Yet," Falconrush argued.

"Spottedleaf could be wrong."

"When has she ever been wrong? She correctly interpreted the warning for Flamestar's death."

Redtail didn't like the idea of doubting his sister. He shook his head, "My point is- it could...it could not be Tigerclaw. it could be another tom. Tigerclaw could be involved in another way. Even if Spottedleaf knew what the warning for Flamestar meant, we still couldn't prevent it!"

Falconrush studied him for a solid minute, "Yes, but even so, it's probably still a tom in Thunderclan. We have to let them know! Do you really think I'm not going to try?"

"Falconrush, wait!" Redtail hissed, "I'm focused on Thunderclan right now. Spottedleaf told me it wouldn't be in the near future anyway...are you listening to me?"

He was not- Falconrush pushed past him and back towards camp. Redtail sighed. Guess that was the end of the patrol; Redtail raced after Falconrush, but wasn't able to catch up before he entered the camp. He frowned when he saw his friend skirt inside the medicine den. Redtail took a deep breath before he followed him in.

"Redtail, I thought we were keeping this between us!" Spottedleaf hissed.

"My situation changed!"

Spottedleaf's glare switched from her brother, to Falconrush, and back again. "I can see that! But it's easier to do this when it's just a few cats. Thunderclan will panic if we say that there's a murderer in our midst!"

"We could keep him safe, though."

"I don't want him to be smothered for the rest of his life, Falconrush. That's just not good for us, not good for him."

"Can I bring up what I actually want?" Redtail muttered.

Falconrush took a step backwards, and he sighed, "Right. Sorry. I just got worried. I don't know what to do."

spottedleaf pushed forward, ignoring Redtail's request. "I'm Redtail's best chance at survival. When I figure out if any clans have had similar dreams, I can then start to rule out toms who it couldn't possibly be."

"it's not me," Falconrush stated, like he was actually the one under fire here. Redtail cuffed him on his ears.

"Considering what you've told me, Falconrush, I think you're fine. Anyway-"

"is he going to hurt anyone else?"

Spottedleaf hesitated. "I don't know yet. I've...considered Tigerclaw to be the one perpetrating the act, but he could also be in danger. But...my priority is Redtail."

"Spottedleaf?" Thistleclaw called. The medicine cat shrunk down for a moment before excusing herself to talk to the senior warrior.

"Is everything all right? Is there anything I can do?"

for a cat that hardly bats an eye at any of his sons, Thistleclaw sounded really concerned. Redtail wondered if Thrushpelt's death hit him that hard, or if he really was just that worried about the deputy. 

Redtail really didn't know how to feel about Thistleclaw outside of respect. He was useful in fights, yet useless in diplomatic situations. Bluestar had told him he aspired to be deputy, but to be frank, Thistleclaw would be awful as a leader or as deputy. He'd probably just brute-force his way through situations that required grace.

Then again, it wasn't like Redtail was the most diplomatic cat to exist. He considered himself pretty average.

Redtail purred lightly when he felt Falconrush press up against him.

"are we just going to sit in the medicine den for the rest of the day, Redtail?"

"No. I was just thinking."

Falconrush broke away and moved out of the den, beckoning Redtail to follow.

"about what?"

"Just...Thistleclaw. His skills. And his family. My...situation."

"Frostfur was talking to me, said that she'd like him to mentor one of her lot when they come of age."

"again, not up to me. Leopardfoot gave me a bit of his background...I guess I was just thinking that he wouldn't make a good mentor, or deputy. He's...ambitious, but lacks crucial diplomatic skills.." He trailed off, trying to think of anything but the looming threat of death haunting him.

"I don't know how he managed to get two mates, is my thing. Why did patchpelt go with him?" Falconrush broke the silence cheerfully.

Redtail shrugged, and immediately winced. His shoulders were still sore from yesterday. "I don't know. Why, are you jealous?" He teased, giving Falconrush a little nudge.

"Not at all," Falconrush replied, "It's just that Patchpelt and Thistleclaw have almost nothing in common. Maybe she just wanted a kid."

Just then, Lionheart, Birchtail, and Tigerclaw rushed back into camp. Leopardfoot must have sent the three of them on a patrol earlier.

"What's wrong?" Redtail called, on his feet immediately. 

Tigerclaw, panting heavily, made his way to Redtail, "Shadowclan is coming."

"It's gathering night!" Rosetail protested, her voice still raspy from the attack the night before.

Redtail sighed, "Okay, so we're doing this. Birchtail, Lionheart, get the queens into the nursery if they aren't- including Goldenflower. Grab as many warriors as you need to block the Nursery entrance. Tigerclaw, wake up the remaining warriors. Thistleclaw, Leopardfoot, protect the Medicine den. The rest of you, stay on alert."

Ravenpaw crept up behind him, "but it's gathering night..."

"That's probably why they're coming," Thistleclaw hissed. 

"Shadowclan's done this before," Robinwing stated, her tail lashing, "Raggedstar breeds sons just like him, it seems. Slaughtered much of Thunderclan the day he became leader."

the cats hushed when the heard quick pawsteps, but curiously only two cats emerged from the entrance and jumped down the slopes. 

Russetclaw saw Redtail first, and moved towards him. "I want to make this brief," she said. Blizzardnose, at her side, gave a quick nod.

"why are you here?" Falconrush spat.

"calm down, mate," blizzardnose hushed the young warrior, "We won't attack."

"why should we trust you?" Thistleclaw hissed. 

Russetclaw shrugged, "you shouldn't. I was hoping that with only me and the medicine cat here, that you'd be open for...negotiation. Look, Redtail, be glad that Blackfang isn't here to lead this patrol and that Brokenstar made me do it."

she took a frustrated breath in, "the thing is; we can't keep fighting. A lot of our warriors are older, and Brokenstar keeps pushing us to take over territories. But, I can make a deal with you. Blackfang's dealing with a heavy infection from Dustpaw biting him, and I'm the most likely candidate for deputy."

Redtail nodded slowly.

"Brokenstar killed Raggedstar. He killed...he killed one of Flintfang's apprentices and a litter of his and Briarwhisker's to attract that fox. I don't want Brokenstar here anymore, and I've got a few warriors here who know that he's no leader of Shadowclan rightfully; we'll need your help to end this. But I need a disguise...a deal, if you may."

 Redtail blinked at her. "What do you mean Brokenstar isn't the rightful leader? Even if he did murder his own father....Brokenstar was the deputy."

Blizzardnose shook his head.

"Starclan denied him. He does not have nine lives. They would not take a heartless murderer for a leader."

whispers erupted through Thunderclan. Redtail took a step backwards.

Russetclaw quietly hushed her onlookers. "I need you to do two things: take Dawncloud's remaining kits until Brokenstar is taken care of, and help me frame Yellowfang's death."

Laureltail spoke up, stepping next to her son. "I had snowkit a few weeks ago. I can nurse Dawncloud's kits. Where are they."

Russetclaw whispered something into Blizzardnose's ears.

"Flintfang's got them," Russetclaw answered, "he said that he found them at the Thunderpath before dawn. They're starving, and we didn't want to risk their lives by bringing them back to brokenstar."

Thistleclaw glared at her. "Where is the rest of your patrol? Why don't you just kill Brokenstar, if he's so awful."

Russetclaw wiped a paw over her face, "He's the largest cat in Shadowclan, and he has a large following; I thought you would know. Anyway, I ordered them to stay behind. they think I'm just scouting for guards; if you'll excuse me, I'll fetch Flintfang."

redtail gave a curt nod. His mind was spinning. So much had happened in so little time.

Spottedleaf nudged her way past Leopardfoot, and towards the Shadowclan medicine cat. She rubbed up against him like he was an old friend.

"Can I ask you a quick question?" Spottedleaf whispered. Blizzardnose nodded.

"has Shadowclan had any recent prophecies? About a tom...maybe involving drowning?"

blizzardnose furrowed his brow, "A long time ago, yea. But not recently."

"How long ago." Redtail pushed.

Blizzardnose's mouth hung open while he thought of an answer. "I don't know....I think...when I was halfway between being a 'paw and getting my name. It's a bit blurry. Most cats can barely count up to six moons, so I can't give you the exact times."

"So it's someone older?" Spottedleaf asked.

Redtail shrugged, and immediately regretted it; he needed to stop making so many gestures. "If the dreams are related, anyway."

Flintfang and Russetclaw both emerged from the entrance this time, carefully jumping down the slopes.

Flintfang dropped two very young kits in front of Laureltail. One of them was cream-colored, and the other was black, with the strangest white patch on its face.

"The cream one is Morningkit, the other is Hollykit. Both mollies. I cannot thank Thunderclan enough; I'm sorry that my clan has been doing this to you. It's been doing enough to me."

redtail nodded, not quite sure what to say.

Spottedleaf spoke for him, "Our duty is to protect kits. Thank you for trusting us enough."

Laureltail sniffed the kits, before grabbing each one at a time to move them into the nursery with snowkit.

Russetclaw cleared her throat, "Right. Now, if we want these battles between us to calm down, we need to take care of Yellowfang. I take it you lot don't want to kill her, and neither do I, but Brokenstar won't rest until she dies. I've got a plan."

Russetclaw took a breath, "I need Shadowclan to doubt Brokenstar. At least a little. We don't need to kill Yellowfang, and once Brokenstar is dealt with, we can take her back. First things first, I'll need some fur of hers."

"Why don't you just kill him?" Thistleclaw hissed.

Russetclaw's hazel gaze snapped to the older warrior. "If I knew that would work, I would have done it already. If i did that now- I would be murdered by the rest of Shadowclan."

Mousefur tilted her head, "you just need...some fur? What do you plan on doing, exactly?"

"forging a sign. So that it looks like Yellowfang's 'death' was a warning to Shadowclan about Brokenstar. They'll trust me."

Yellowfang pushed her way out of the elder's den. "They won't after this, if they find out, you twit."

Blizzardnose smiled at her, "it is worth it."

Yellowfang shook her head, "anyway, tell me how much fur I'm ripping out here. I'm not going bald for this."

"whatever's easiest- probably your tail fur, maybe some of the thicker fur around your neck."

Redtail turned his head so he didn't have to watch a cat willingly tear her fur out. Let alone hear the sounds.

"Aight. It hurt, but there's a few patches. Next?"

blizzardnose picked up the fur off of the hardened snow, "Blood. Preferably yours. Nothing major."

"making me swim upriver....I can't bring myself to cut myself open, Blizzardnose."

Thistleclaw stepped forward, "then one of us can do it for you."

"as long as you don't kill me, I'm fine."

redtail rounded Thistleclaw with a steady glare, "just get some from her front legs. That's all that needs to be done."

"yes, father," Thistleclaw muttered, reaching for one of Yellowfang's limbs and pressing a few of his claws into her flesh until it started to bleed.

Blizzardnose rushed forward to press the fur into her blood, until it was considerably wet enough. It certainly looked murderous.

"Russetclaw, take this." Blizzardnose said through a mouthful of orange fur. It was an awkward exchange to make.

Flintfang frowned, "how can you use that both to signify her...death, and to forge a sign?"

Blizzardnose's ears twitched, "simply put: dreams. Brokenstar was the one who pushed for Yellowfang's death, so I'll....'dream' about his making the wrong choice...and that it will lead to Shadowclan's untimely undoing. About this fur, here. Shadowclan puts a lot of stock into their medicine cats' being right."

"You're itching to lose the respect of your clan," Darkstripe spoke.

"Do you have another idea, Darkstripe?" Russetclaw challenged.

Darkstripe faltered, and then looked away. Blizzardnose continued, "This is the only way I can think of without muscling our way through it. We don't want to cost any more lives than we have to."

"What happens when you read the sign?" Redtail asked, "What if Brokenstar denies it?"

Flintfang sat down and curled his tail around his paws. "Brokenstar might, but the clan won't. You forget- Shadowclan borders the Moonstone. We hold our beliefs and practices in....higher regard, than you might. Our medicine cats are like second leaders here, which is why so much of shadowclan is convinced that Yellowfang needs to die- if a medicine cat commits a crime...it's over. it doesn't matter what crime it is."

Redtail exchanged a glance with his sister. She gave a curt nod.

"Firepaw was right!" Greypaw cheered. His mother cuffed him on the back of his forehead.

"You took in an outsider? I don't remember a 'firekit' ever existing," Russetclaw pressed, scanning the crowd.

"He's with Bluestar and her kits on the way the way to the moonstone," he stated. He felt like he's been saying that too often.

"He's a kittypet," Tigerclaw muttered, "Brokenstar tried to kill him, and my mother."

Russetclaw did a little nod, "Yes I...remember him telling us about the tiny rogue outside 'our' territory. He said that the little thing was stealing food. He failed to mention Leopardfoot."

"I've seen him before, if we're talking about the same kit," Russetclaw continued, "The one with the odd coloration? I've seen Spiderstar visit a bit."

"Why were you out so far?" Tigerclaw asked.

"I used to be a kittypet. The life was dull and unfullfilling, so I pledged my loyalty to shadowclan, found an interest in the beliefs...so on, so forth. Anyway- Spiderstar really likes that kit."

"Is it Spiderstar's?"

The red tabby shook her head, "No. He'd never. He just had a rebellious streak an entire thunderpath long. Ended up hitting it off with a tom, who later had kits of his own. Spiderstar would drop by to chat. "

"I didn't know that you were..." Redtail trailed off, and then shook his head. This was far, far too much information to handle at once.

"I like a struggle," Russetclaw muttered, "Anyway. I cannot thank you enough. Blizzardnose will keep you updated. With luck, I should be leader within the next moon. Shadowclan needs stability, not war."

The group of cats turned to exit, with Flintfang taking up the rear. The grey tom turned to look at Redtail, "This war between us has costed us so much. Too much. Thank you for....being generous enough to help, even when we've taken so many lives of Thunderclan's. May Starclan light your path."

"And yours," Dustcloud murmured. Flintfang dipped his head, and then disappeared up the slope.

No cats moved for several moments. The sun was high in the sky by now, and if Redtail had to guess- it was maybe a little past noon. 

Thistleclaw was the first cat to move, "what if they're lying. What if they're using us."

Redtail turned to face him. His mind was still spinning. He didn't know what to think of thistleclaw's accusation. All he did was tilt his head just a little.

"They know where Yellowfang is again. They know we have their kits. What if they try to break in and frame it like we stole their kits? How many lives will they take?" Thistleclaw pressed.

redtail just wanted to phase into the ground. His head was pounding.

"we will have to wait, Thistleclaw...I-"

"we don't have time to wait! They could forge any prophecy they wanted about Yellowfang. About Thunderclan."

"he has a point," ravenpaw murmured, hiding behind Leopardfoot's tail. "They have a lot of cats who are amazing fighters..."

"how many cats can we trust? They did kill thrushpelt. They killed halftail, and almost murdered Rosetail. Bluestar was hurt as well," Tigerclaw reminded him. 

"That was because of Brokenstar," Yellowfang snapped, "he wants me; he doesn't care how many of you perish in his quest."

"I told you," Thistleclaw took a step towards his deputy, "taking her in was a bad idea. Look where it's gotten us."

"it has gotten us closer to cats who want to reform Shadowclan," Robinwing defended, "We could maybe even use their help down the line."

Frostfur muscled past Lionheart guarding the nursery entrance, and she nuzzled him on her way out. Her four kits sprung out eagerly with her. "They also made off with Brindleface's kits. Redtail, we must think of Thunderclan's safety. It is your call now; Bluestar put you in charge. We're listening to _you_."

Thornkit, the biggest of the bunch, nodded."Yeah! I don't want to go to shadowclan like Ashkit and Fernkit did! They sound bad!" Brackenkit voiced his agreement, as if he were the one who made the decisions.

Redtail laughed nervously at Thornkit's remark to try and remove some weight off of his shoulders. He jerked his head towards Leopardfoot, who perked up immediately when she caught his gaze. "Let me speak with Leopardfoot...I...can't make this decision on my own."

He drowned out the bickering as he gestured for Leopardfoot to follow him towards the sandy hollow. Neither of them spoke until the sandy soil, marked with small pawsteps, was underneath their feet. Redtail drags his paw in a swirling motion in the snowy sand.

"I am actually familiar with Russetclaw," Leopardfoot murmured.

Redtail can't help but notice the weak tone in her voice. He smiled softly.

"She helped me cope with my situation; My kits were so weak that Goosenose told me to abandon him," she said bitterly, "but I didn't. I would never. I told the clan what he had done, and Goosenose had to step down. She helped me. talked to me. Kept me calm."

Redtail briefly recalled that. He went under a lot of fire for criticizing kits, especially the offspring of their leader. Redtail had only been about a moon and a half at the time. Maybe two.

"Before pinestar stepped down," Leopardfoot said, her gaze focused heavenward, "Goosenose told me and Pinestar that none of our kits would make it. They would all perish before I did. Before they got to live out their lives."

"It ruined me. I didn't eat. Then they got sick....Dappletail would sometimes nurse them despite her hating everything about me- and I'm forever grateful for that. Robinwing tried to get me to eat when she moved in the nursery, and when she miscarried, I couldn't help but feel like that would've been more merciful for my kits, and that I had made a mistake somewhere."

Redtail swallowed hard. Robinwing recovered very quickly after the miscarriage of her first litter, like it hadn't meant much to her. He remembered how much Leopardfoot stressed Robinwing, and Redtail recoiled a little bit. Leopardfoot noticed, and looked away.

"They were gone the next day, a few days before that gathering. And then Pinestar left..." Leopardfoot heaved a sigh, "Russetclaw saw me at the border of the thunderpath. She stayed with me almost all night. She would talk to me when we met at border patrols. She helped me calm down. She defended me against my own clanmates at gatherings."

"She's a good cat. I trust her with my life," Leopardfoot said confidently, "Shadowclan needs our help- and if she's at the helm, then it will be in good paws."

"Why would Thistleclaw be so concerned?"

Leopardfoot rolled her shoulders, "He doesn't interact much outside of Thunderclan. He doesn't like anyone else. Thinks anyone who so much as speak to another clan is...too trusting. We've had cats like him before. He's....a loyal sort. Just too...stuffy. I don't know what Snowfur had in him, but I'm very biased."

redtail remembered how his mother was much the same way, actually. He was glad that leopardfoot did not hold a bias against him. 

"you do not think she could be lying?"

"No," leopardfoot replied quickly, "you forget that she was not Shadowclan-born. She is doing this out of altruism."

"will Shadowclan accept a kittypet for a leader?"

she hummed. "They will accept her. She is a warrior, who chose to give up her past life for the benefit of Shadowclan."

Redtail thought about this. He didn't really know Russetclaw personally; they met at gatherings and in battle. Maybe one day they would meet as leaders.

if he had the chance.

"all right," redtail nodded, "I trust you. Let's head back and tell them."

leopardfoot gave a soft smile, "yeah. Sounds good."

redtail turned back to head into camp, with leopardfoot behind him. He slowed down to match her pace, which was strange...she was one of the fastest cats in Thunderclan.

"are you okay?"

"I will be...fine." She replied.

"hey. I have some advice: you need to...let pinestar go. Just...find something else to make your life feel worthwhile. You need a break."

"we don't get breaks until we die."

Redtail grunted, "pinestar's leaving you and your two kits' deaths have been bearing down on you for so long," he breathed, "Why don't you...spend some more time with family? I just don't think it's good for you to be going back to pinestar to chat."

When she said nothing, Redtail pressed on. "You are still young enough to bear kits, if you wanted to. You could always find another mate."

Leopardfoot heaved a full-body sigh. "It is not fair to Tigerclaw."

Redtail snorted, "you will not be neglecting him."

"I will not have as much time for him."

"he's a full-grown tom, not a kit. I know you don't want him to get hurt...but he can handle himself. And he will still see you, whatever choice you make. But you have to...to move past these thoughts a little."

"you sound like your sister."

"she has good ideas," redtail said proudly.

"Can you at least try not talking to Pinestar?" he pressed.

Leopardfoot looked at the ground, "who told you that I was?"

"Bluestar."

"I see," the smoky cat frowned, "I do not discuss much with pinestar. It's just...about Tigerclaw. Sometimes he wants me to come join him, as a kittypet. I tell him I can't leave our son behind. And then he asks me to take him with me."

"Please don't go," redtail whispered.

"I will not," she replied immediately, "unless there is nothing in Thunderclan for me. But I have my sisters. I have my nephews, and I'll have grandkits soon. I have an apprentice, as well."

"Then focus on them," redtail said, "Pinestar isn't committed to you anymore."

"he is!" Leopardfoot snapped.

there was a tense silence between them. Redtail lashed his tail in frustration.

"he cares about me, Redtail, he just...couldn't stand clan life. So he wants me to go with him. To be with him still. Every time I say no, he still asks. He wants me there."

"it's not healthy for you to talk to him."

"why not?!"

"Because he- he abandoned you, Leopardfoot. He left you and your children. You needed his help, didn't you?"

"I know this. I do not forgive him for that; but he has changed. I still love him. We just. Can't be together anymore. I see nothing wrong with talking to the father of my kits."

redtail snorted. He supposed he'd have to steer her in a different direction, then. 

"Reconcile with Bluestar," he said. When Leopardfoot looked at him, he continued, "you two hardly get along as much anymore."

"she has done things to me that I....I do not agree with."

Redtail's ears flattened. So she would detest Bluestar, but would still openly love Pinestar, who left her.

he remembered looking up to Leopardfoot like she was some completely rational cat. He supposed that he's grown up a little since then.

that didn't mean he didn't like Leopardfoot; he just wanted her to be happier. Maybe he was wrong, but talking to pinestar less would alleviate her stress, he thought.

"I know she hasn't. I've talked to her about it," redtail replied at last, "she can be petty."

"I know. She obviously still trusts me."

"of course she does, I just don't think...she likes you as much as she used to....why?"

Leopardfoot sighed again, and diverted their path a little so they could finish the talk without walking into camp just yet, "she sees her sister in me, and I couldn't save her. That's why."

"that...that's it?"

"I suppose her distrust of Thistleclaw bleeds into me as well, because he mentored Tigerclaw. She had wanted to."

redtail went slack-jawed.

"okay. I think it would be best if you spent some time with her when she gets back. Talk to her."

leopardfoot shrugged, "I can do that."

"I want to tell you that Thunderclan is here for you," Redtail continued, "I know you grieve for your lost kits. You grieve for Pinestar and wish you were still close to your sisters and Bluestar, but life moves on. You told me that when Dappletail died, remember? Don't you?"

Leopardfoot looked away.

"The seasons still change...prey comes and goes. Our family and friends die, and some of them die before they've had a chance to live their lives." Redtail said, moving to cut off Leopardfoot's path abruptly and bury his mottled face into her black fur.

"But that doesn't mean that you cannot live yours."

Leopardfoot closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. "I'm sorry. I just don't know how much I can take."

"Snowfur, Mistkit, Nightkit...all of them are watching you from the stars. Their death is not the end of them. And it isn't- it shouldn't be the end of you. They are free from ailments are sadness in Starclan. Remember...remember your good days with them. remember them loving you, playing with you. Defending you. They were happy, and they want you to be happy, too," he purred. 

"I want to be happy," Leopardfoot sobbed. Redtail reached up to hook his arms around her shoulders.

"they are there for you," Redtail said, with force in his voice, "I know it. They see you. Find the will to live on, Leopardfoot. Thunderclan needs you, we love you."

"I love you guys, too," the molly whispered, grasping Redtail in her broad paws. They stayed like that for a while- hugging each other, "I would do anything for you, for tigerclaw, for my clan."

Redtail separated himself from his mentor, and he beckoned her towards bushes hiding another entrance. It was actually a shortcut to the nursery(which he and Falconrush had used to sneak out of the nursery when they were young), but no one had used it in moons. It was overgrown now, and weeds smacked them as they went by.

and so did Laureltail, who had jumped backwards when they entered and puffed up her fur. 

"Honestly!" She hissed, "you could've warned me."

frostfur's kits laughed. Thornkit swatted at laureltail's plumy tail and back paws.

"sorry," Leopardfoot dipped her head, "we didn't mean to startle you."

"it's...it's okay. Oh, goldenflower wanted to chat with you, Leopardfoot. About her kits, I think."

leopardfoot squinted, and exited the den without a word.

Frostfur moved to grab brackenkit and place him back within her nest beside Lionheart. "Actually, Redtail. I wouldn't mind talking to you about my kids here."

all four of them scrambled to line up in front of him, like he was going to pick them for their very first patrol.

"they're getting big. Probably near their sixth moon. I know you can't assign mentors; I just want to discuss who I want to mentor them."

redtail nodded. The kits beamed wider. 

"All four of them want to be warriors, so Spottedleaf doesn't have to worry. I think Thornkit would do well with Mousefur, even though she's young. She's got a fire in her. Brightkit I think would go well with Robinwing, since they're both pretty calm. Brackenkit...would go best with someone like Dustcloud. Cinderkit I think, should go to a cat like Tigerclaw, Rosetail, Patchpelt, or, well, you."

redtail blinked as he considered her desires.

"I'll talk to Bluestar when she gets back. Personally, I think brightkit and robinwing would get along well, likewise with brackenkit and Dustcloud. I don't expect Dustcloud to get his first apprentice so soon...so maybe whitecloud would be a better option?"

"Dustcloud is a very smart warrior," lionheart said as if Dustcloud were his son or apprentice, "I don't see why he couldn't handle it."

redtail nodded, but really didn't feel like arguing. "Thornkit is good for mousefur's first apprentice., or maybe as birchtail's first. Patchpelt hasn't had an apprentice before, actually. I think she'd love Cinderkit. I'll talk to Bluestar first thing when she returns."

Lionheart nodded, "Thank you for your time."

Redtail dipped his head and turned towards Laureltail, who was aggressively grooming Snowkit, Hollykit, and Morningkit. Snowkit shrieked so loud that the other two were startled backwards. "how are the shadowclan kits?"

"They are well," the queen responded, "Snowkit responded well. They do not smell of Shadowclan anymore. I am concerned for Snowkit- I think he's completely deaf."

Redtail blinked. He knew that Whitecloud was deaf in one of his ears, which made pranking him pretty funny, but there hadn't been a completely deaf cat in Thunderclan in ages. Frostfur and Laureltail were both fine. "He should be able to get around just fine."

"He won't understand what we're saying, is the problem. We can only get so much across through body language. His ears opened not too long ago, and he won't respond to any noise at all. I suspect the shadowclan kits are a bit younger; they can't hear me either."

"We'll...keep an eye on him. I'll think about different ways to communicate with him. We'll find a way, Laureltail."

"Bless you, Redtail."

Brackenkit nosed out of his mother's grasp again, "I'll teach him how to speak to us!" He bopped Snowkit gently on the forehead, and the white kit screamed at him again. Brackenkit frowned.

"He's deaf. He doesn't know how loud he is," Frostfur stated, "get back here. I don't want you hurting him."

Redtail ushered Brackenkit back to his mother's nest. He glanced towards Brindleface and Whitestorm, "Would you mind taking Tigerclaw, Falconrush, and Thistleclaw on a border patrol along the north Thunderpath?"

Whitecloud nodded, "of course not. I'll get to it right now. What if we see shadowclan still lingering?"

Redtail emerged out of the nursery and flagged Falconrush down, "send Falconrush back here to tell me. Don't attack any of them unless you're in immediate danger."

Falconrush pressed his nose to Redtail's forehead, "I'll keep an eye on Tigerclaw, to see if he's...planning anything."

"on a border patrol?"

"You never know. Anyway, see you later." Falconrush bounded away when Whitecloud beckoned for his group to head out. 

* * *

 The patrol arrived home as the full moon was above the trees and darkening the sky. It was a cause of concern- Patrols should not take so long. Redtail moved away from Dustcloud and Sandstorm's sides, squinting against the heavy snowfall.

The entrance rustled as cats pushed against it, and Redtail's hope swelled. Many other warriors perked up and gathered around Redtail as the four cats made their way down the slope into camp. Redtail's ears twitched. Some of those cats were far too small to be any of the patrol.

"They aren't..." Redtail stammered, "The patrol is still missing."

"They know what they're doing," Mousefur said, "They will be back before long. Thistleclaw and Whitestorm are strong warriors; they probably just got slowed down by the storm."

Redtail nodded slowly, his eyes trained on the largest cat of the group. They made their way straight towards him.

"Redtail!" the figure called- and he would know that voice from anywhere.

"Bluestar!" Redtail called back, overjoyed, "You're....you're early! Is everyone okay?"

It took some time for them to reach each other, because the snow was so thick, and visibility was so low. Eventually, Bluestar towered over Redtail, with Mistpaw, Stonepaw and Firepaw at her sides.

"It was urgent," Bluestar explained, "I knew we had to move quickly. Where's Spottedleaf? I need to talk with her, as well."

Redtail was frozen in place for a while, trying to sort out his thoughts. The patrol was still missing- including Falconrush. It didn't sit well with him. "Spottedleaf is in the medicine den, with Ravenpaw."

Stonepaw prodded his mother gently, "can me and Mistpaw eat? we haven't had food since we left."

Bluestar gave a small nod, "I trust that the clan is well?" She turned to follow Spottedleaf as she beckoned the leader into the medicine den.

"More than," Redtail said hoarsely, "Rosetail is healing well, and we got Brindleface's kits back. But a patrol i sent out-"

Bluestar froze so abruptly that redtail had to swerve to avoid hitting her. Her head whipped around, and her teeth were ever so slight bared at him.

"I explicitly told you not to attack Shadowclan," Bluestar hissed, "Tell me why you did."

Redtail shrunk into himself, and he felt the eyes of his clanmates upon him. He didn't meet Bluestar's furious gaze.

"Shadowclan attacked Yellowfang," Leopardfoot spoke up, "He took her to the Great Sycamore, like you asked. He took much of us to get her back, and demanded that Shadowclan return the kits. No one got hurt too badly."

Bluestar lashed her tail, but Leopardfoot's words soothed her some. "Brokenstar could have killed any one of you."

"Shadowclan killed one of its queens," Redtail regained his composure, and stood back on his feet, "Russetclaw and Flintfang told me that Brokenstar has manipulated them. They're going to usurp Brokenstar-"

"So you let Thunderclan meddle in Shadowclan's business?" Bluestar snapped, and Redtail flinched away.

"I want to help them," Redtail whispered, "Brokenstar has been killing his own clanmates."

"You let me take in Yellowfang," Firepaw interrupted, bounding over to stand in front of the deputy. Redtail looked at him like he was stupid, but Firepaw seemed confident.

"We don't know if she's iguilty," Bluestar sighed, "That's why I agreed. Brokenstar is too dangerous for you to go behind his back!"

"Russetclaw and Flintfang are capable warriors!"

"And Brokenstar has the power to rip them to shreds," Bluestar snarled, "he rose to power that way."

Firepaw lashed his tail, "Your clans-the other three, you let him? Why?"

Bluestar leveled the apprentice with a smoldering glare, "Brokenstar was deputy at the time. It is customary- we did not know at the time."

"He doesn't have nine lives," Spottedleaf said evenly, "Blizzardnose told us. They did not give them to him."

"Kill him, before he kills all of you," Yellowfang spat, "He is no longer a son of mine!"

Redtail felt a sense of camaraderie as his clanmates defended him. He knew that he had gone against Bluestar's orders- and the warrior code as a result; For that, he had no excuse. Redtail just wanted to do right by Thunderclan, and if he could save Yellowfang and Brindleface's kits at the same time, he'd do it all over again. In fact, when he stood, Brindleface and Whitecloud were at his side.

"We know that he disobeyed you," whitecloud began, "but he's done so much good. It was not out of malice."

"My kits are alive because of him," brindleface said, turning her head to smile softly at Redtail. "Punish him for breaking the Code, but he made an effective choice, considering the situation."

Bluestar shut her eyes and took a deep breath. "Very well. I'll...need time to think. Right now, I need to talk to Spottedleaf. Return to your duties."

Redtail dismissed most of them with a small nod of his head, and he heard Bluestar whisper that Starclan had not talked to her in quite some time. He backed away slowly into Dustcloud's chest. 

"She's just upset," dustcloud said, "all she needs is time to calm down. You'll see."

Redtail shook his head, "I did go behind her back."

Sandstorm prodded him, "For a damn good reason! you saved lives! She put you in charge anyway. Told us to treat you like our leader- and we did."

 The deputy smiled softly at the young warriors. "Yeah. I appreciate everything you guys have done, honestly. If you could do me one more favor, could you two go searching for the patrol? come back if anything seems wrong. I don't...I don't want to lose you guys, too."

"No problem," Sandstorm said, "We'll find them. Shadowclan border, right?"

Dustcloud nodded, "We'll stay together just in case."

"Be safe." Redtail gave them a fond farewell, and hoped the warriors would return with the patrol soon. He didn't want to think about any of them dying. Hell, Falconrush was his mate now. He didn't know what he'd do if he lost him before they even got to share nests.

Then Bluestar stepped out, with Spottedleaf and Ravenpaw flanking her. Neither of them regarded Redtail as Bluestar made her way to the highrock.

"Thunderclan. Meet beneath the highrock, now," the blue tabby called, "I have an imperative announcement."

Redtail shuffled to the center of the crowd. Normally he'd joint her up there, but he had a feeling this was about him. Guilt pricked at his fur.

"Redtail." Bluestar said evenly, her Amber eyes falling upon her deputy.

the crowd parted. Redtail met her gaze.

"you have disobeyed my orders to not attack Shadowclan, and put our cats at risk even though we recently suffered an invasion. Our cats were injured. Yet, you rescued Yellowfang again, and Brindleface's kits; we could have lost valuable warriors in the process. Those cats were the strongest warriors in Shadowclan."

"yes, Bluestar." Redtail responded.

"I chose you as my deputy because I trusted you. I thought you would better Thunderclan. But you go behind my back? Defend yourself. Now."

spottedleaf prodded him before he could do anything. Her eyes were wide with grief. "Do not do anything. Do not defend yourself. If you are not the deputy- it could save your life."

redtail stared at his paws. He could just step down now and avoid the trouble. Live a long, healthy life with Falconrush. Maybe take a few more apprentices.

but if Tigerclaw really was after him that badly, Redtail had no doubt in his mind that he would go for Bluestar next. It would leave Thunderclan in chaos.

He had done everything he wanted in life, Redtail decided, and stood on his paws.

"I recognize that the five cats in that patrol were the strongest warriors in Shadowclan, but I took more than enough Thunderclan warriors to handle the threat. I did not resort to violence initially, either. But they were threatening to kill both you and I, and I have reasonable suspicion that they murdered one of their own queens. None of the warriors I took were heavily injured during the invasion; The taking of Brindleface's kits was not necessary, I suppose, but I knew what we were capable of doing. I knew we could get those kits, and Yellowfang, back without losing another warrior."

"Mousefur was injured, Redtail. You took her with you."

"Yes, Bluestar. But her wounds were surprisingly minor and healed quickly-"

"and you are helping Russetclaw to usurp Brokenstar? Do you know how much trouble this could get Thunderclan in if it doesn't work?"

redtail shrunk down a little. 

"Shadowclan trusts its medicine cats," Yellowfang defended, "Blizzardnose will successfully deliver this prophecy, and we will sow doubt into the warriors that Brokenstar has manipulated. Have some faith in your deputy!"

"And what if they cannot kill Brokenstar or Blackfang? What if Russetclaw and Flintfang die first, hm? Will they find out that Redtail authorized this, and come for Thunderclan?"

stormface emerged from the elders' den to murmur his agreement, "we have lost so many valuable warriors within the past moon. We can't afford to lose any others!"

one-eye hummed, "they killed my mate! They could have killed Falconrush! They will stop at nothing until they have what they want!"

"they want me," Yellowfang hissed, "I agree that I don't need to be in camp- that puts you all at risk- but Redtail has a good head on his shoulders for his age. Thrushpelt and Halftail were getting old anyway, and would likely have succumbed to infection after the invasion. If the forged prophecy succeeds, which it will, and Russetclaw or Flintfang lead Shadowclan, our troubles will be next to none. Trust me; I was a Shadowclan cat. I _know_ them."

Bluestar seemed to consider this for a moment, and her eyes shifted from Yellowfang to Redtail.

"Russetclaw and Flintfang are good cats," Bluestar conceded, "but meddling that far into shadowclan's business is a very dangerous, steep slope. You may have rescued three cats, Redtail, but you have endangered countless lives."

Bluestar shook her head, "I cannot allow you to remain as my deputy, Redtail. I am sorry."

redtail swallowed, and looked back at his sister; she looked down at her paws.

"you are in too much danger as deputy," she whispered, "I'm sorry."

Redtail lashed his tail, and looked back at his leader. "With all due respect, I'm more than capable!"

Brindleface jumped to his defense. "He's carried out effective plans and done so much work in two days! I would be proud to call him Redstar one day. Please, Bluestar."

cats murmured their agreements, but many opponents brought up how Yellowfang was a constant threat to the clan by proxy.

"No," she said calmly, "You are not any less of a warrior, but knowing what I know, you can't be my deputy. I hope you understand."

redstar drew in a hard breath, "okay. All right." Too much had happened today. Between becoming Falconrush's....whatever, to subsequently losing him not too long after. He hope Dustcloud and sandstorm could find them.

Brindleface glared at him, "Are you really accepting this?"

"I understand where she is coming from." 

"You are a coward. What happened to you leading the charge to get my kits back? To reinforce the sunningrocks border patrol? To agreeing to help Russetclaw? Why are you giving up?"

"I am not," he said weakly, "Bluestar has made a decision. I will still be a Thunderclan warrior."

"you can be so much more than that."

"I know."

Several cats pushed past into the entrances and sprang down to join the meeting. They were all covered in snow, but didn't seem to care.

the missing patrol. Redtail's gaze latched onto Falconrush's, and the black tabby ran to Redtail's side.

"Bluestar, he was a good deputy. Please!"

Redtail turned again, this time to look at Dustcloud. 

 "I figured something would happen," Dustcloud whispered, "so I told them. I wasn't sure how much had actually happened."

"I'm not deputy anymore," redtail responded. Dustcloud pressed his forehead into his side.

"I figured from what Dustcloud told me. A lot has happened in the past few days, huh?"

Redtail shrugged, "It's been that way most of my life."

Brindleface shoved past them all, "Bluestar, I told you that you could punish him. I didn't mean _this_! He still makes for a fine deputy. You're wasting his potential, keeping him as a warrior."

Tigerclaw and Thistleclaw exchanged glances, and Thistleclaw leaned down to whisper something in his apprentice's ear. 

"She is right," Thistleclaw spoke, "I know Redtail and I do not get along all the time, but that does not mean he shouldn't be deputy."

Bluestar stared down at him, "Your not getting along with him is not the issue. He broke the code."

"He didn't murder anyone!" Tigerclaw spat, "disobeying your word isn't some heinous crime!"

"I am doing this," Bluestar hissed, "I am doing this for your own good, because of what spottedleaf told me. I can't keep you as my deputy, knowing what I know. Can you accept this?"

Spottedleaf rushed to be next to her brother. "This can save your life. You wouldn't listen to me."

"I don't care," Redtail said, feeling anger well in his being, "I care about Thunderclan as a whole. If this cat is out to get me because I am deputy, then I would rather die than let countless cats be murdered. It is not set in stone, my death. You've told me this."

"I have reasonable suspicion-" Spottedleaf hissed back.

"Enough!" Bluestar called. All cats stilled and stopped their bickering.

"Cats of Thunderclan, sit down. Calm yourselves. When you are steady, I want those who want Redtail to remain as deputy to stand. The rest of you, remain seated. Consider what Redtail has done, and what he will do, and what might happen to him." Her amber gaze fell upon Redtail once more, and he didn't flinch away. He knew what he wanted.

Falconrush was the first to stand, followed by Dustcloud, Sandstorm, Mousefur, Goldenflower and Tigerclaw, Thistleclaw, Patchpelt, Birchtail, Robinwing, and all of the queens and their mates. Among the apprentices, they remained seated, shuffling their paws, with the notable exception of Firepaw. Surprisingly, Darkstripe also rose to his paws.

 Leopardfoot hesitantly stood, "Redtail was my first apprentice. I know him as family. I know that you and I, Bluestar, have not gotten along well in recent moons, but listen to me now. Redtail is as good a deputy as you can get. And before you....you appoint me as deputy, know that I agreed to his helping shadowclan. I agreed to help Russetclaw. We cannot sit idly by and let Brokenstar ruin shadowclan, and perhaps extend his horrible reach into the other three. He means well."

Stormface and One-eye remained seated, and One-eye was next to speak, "I can only agree with him remaining as deputy if we remove Yellowfang from Thunderclan territory. Brokenstar won't stop until he has her. He will kill us all if it means he gets to kill Yellowfang."

Ravenpaw nodded, "I don't want to see Thunderclan die because of our decision to hold a refugee within our borders. Yellowfang is a good, valuable cat, but the Clan searching for her is corrupt."

Willowpelt lashed her tail, "Redtail may have rescued Brindleface's kits, but he put all of us in danger all the while. He doesn't have the grip on this clan that you do, Bluestar."

"He's not even leader yet," Darkstripe mused, "That's why. Anyway- Redtail had the spine to keep my punishment around. He takes every clanmember's feelings into consideration. He understood where my little brother was coming from when he went to help Ravenpaw, but also knew that he could've been in horrible danger."

"Is this all?" Bluestar asked, her voice surprisingly calm given the turmoil recently.

Rosetail, one of the seated cats, rose to her feet. "I am fine with him being deputy, but, like others have said, find Yellowfang a new home. Hide her somewhere that Shadowclan will not think of checking. I do not think we should blindly exile her, but if Shadowclan knows she is within our borders, we will suffer."

The standing cats murmured their agreement, and even Firepaw, the cat who steadfastly defended Yellowfang, agreed with Rosetail as well.

"Very well then," Bluestar said, "Redtail will remain deputy. On one condition: He mentors Firepaw. Starclan did not speak to him at the Moonstone, and I am unsure how committed he is to the clan. Prove me wrong, Redtail. Teach him of our ways."

"Bluestar," Goldenflower protested, "I'm not that pregnant! I can still mentor Firepaw."

The grey tabby shook her head, "No. Your unborn kits are still at risk if you do so. Do not worry; I will see about giving you one of Brindleface's kits to mentor." This seemed to appease the younger warrior, as she nodded and sat back down.

Redtail turned to look down at Firepaw, who beamed back up at him. His introduction to the clan was rushed, so of course he couldn't have learned the religion enough. Maybe that's why Starclan did not speak to him. Redtail was no medicine cat, but...

"Okay," Redtail said, "I will do the best that I can."

"I know you will." Bluestar replied, ending the clan meeting as she bounded down the highrock and beckoned Yellowfang into her den. Cats huddled around Redtail to congratulate him and to give him some reassurance. The clan was back to its cheery mood, like it should be for the gathering tonight.

Redtail sighed. "I suppose your first lesson, Firepaw, will be about gathering etiquette."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> created a tumblr for this fanfic specifically, as well as other warriors stuff: Lasestrellasapagadas.tumblr.com
> 
> There's not much on it at the moment, but I will be posting art of cats from here (and/or cats that you request) as often as I can. And yes- the pfp is of Redtail. The man, the myth, the legend.
> 
> Anyway, the next chapter will be the gathering(finally) as well as some hopefully exciting stuff. Next week for me i have a few exams, and I'll have more near the end of October, so the next update here might be in November.
> 
> That said, I will be focusing more on my other fic, Leave her, Johnny, for a little bit, so you might see updates there before I update this one.
> 
> Thank you guys.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They always say yeehaw but never ask haw yee

"I'll be good, I promise!"

Redtail looked down at Firepaw, who was matching his speed with bouncy steps. He certainly had to be around six moons, maybe a bit younger. It was hard to tell. The only cats who really knew that were Spiderstar and Russetclaw now. Redtail stopped moving when he was at Leopardfoot's side.

"I know you will," Redtail said, "You're an ok kid."

"Gets himself into....odd situations," Leopardfoot mewed, her focus on Bluestar, in front of the slowly gathering cats. The cats told to stay behind for the gathering were crowding in the nursery, to keep the kits there warm over the night. It was incredibly chilly, and Redtail, even with his thick fur, shivered occasionally. 

"My dad always told me that I could be whatever I wanted," Firepaw stated, "that there are good cats out there, and that there's always an opportunity with adventure."

"Not everyone's nice," Ravenpaw chipped in.

Greypaw joined the crowd, "We're just trying to make it through. Doesn't mean they're all bad."

Ravenpaw's tail twitched, "You don't know what's going through cats' minds. They could switch at any moment and hurt you."

Spottedleaf came up to her apprentice, and gently tapped him on the shoulder, "Your caution can be a virtue, but be careful to not hold everyone around you as an enemy. You know we would never hurt you, yes?"

Ravenpaw nodded, "I guess. Some cats scare me. The big ones. and Tigerclaw."

Greypaw snickered, "Tigerclaw is only slightly bigger than Redtail is."

"He put me through a lot!" Ravenpaw raised his voice, and this shut Greypaw up.

Greypaw shrugged, not bothering to argue any longer. Lionheart ushered the apprentice away and apologized to Redtail. The deputy smiled at him, and despite him trying to say it wasn't an issue, Lionheart enforced that it was incredibly rude. 

"It's a gathering night," Lionheart whispered, "They should be on their best behavior."

"You're the one who insisted that he was good enough to come along," Redtail teased, "Besides, let him have some fun with his friends. It's been rough in thunderclan lately. We'll need Greypaw's spirit."

"See! He thinks so!" Greypaw stuck out his tongue at his mentor, and scurried away into the crowd before Lionheart could stop them.

"Your kids are going to be quite the bunch," Redtail said as Lionheart began to walk away to say goodbye to his sister, "all four of them. They're already pretty energetic."

"I love 'em all, though. Doesn't mean I don't expect the best from them, or from my apprentice."

"We all make mistakes."

The orange tom nodded, but didn't say anything more. 

Firepaw gently prodded Redtail, and then whispered into his ear, "Do you guys always do this on full moons?"

"Yes," he replied, "Unless something devastating has happened. It's a time to....share news, meet friends. make friends, and so on."

"but I thought you were all enemies?"

"Well...I suppose we are. But....Greypaw has a point. We're all just trying to survive, so sometimes we fight. but that doesn't mean we can't have some fun together and raise our spirits."

The ruddy apprentice tilted his head, "When did gatherings start happening, anyway?"

Redtail scrunched his face. He was not the most spiritual cat in thunderclan- that was his sister. History bored him anyway, so the deputy motioned his sister over. She seemed more than happy to answer Firepaw's questions.

"A long, long time ago," Spottedleaf began, "Before the clans had solidified. There was no true leader, no-one blessed by our ancestors above. The four clans warred for many, many days; There was barely respite enough to eat and sleep. The fallen spirits of our ancestors lingered, and tormented the living for their deaths. But the clans didn't listen."

"What were they fighting over anyway?" Firepaw asked.

"The clans were largely nomadic at the time," spottedleaf answered, "and when they crossed paths...only fighting came of it. Desperate, the leaders: Thunder, Tall Shadow, Wind Runner, and River Ripple agreed to meet at the fourtrees, what was then just small saplings. but it did not go well- two cats brought the fighting to a head: Jackdaw's Cry, and Falling Feather. Jackdaw's cry had defected to Windclan from Shadowclan as a result of a dispute between deceased kits, and he brought that fury with him."

Ravenpaw spoke up excitedly, "oh! After that! The Four met with the fallen spirits to make a pact. In return for worship and remembrance for the ancestors, as well as following the warrior code, which the spirits created, the fallen warriors would not interfere with mortal business, except to give guidance when necessary. But the spirits had a few more requests: the leaders- The Four- would pledge submission to the Warrior Code, and the spirits would give them nine lives, but take all of them away if they broke their agreement; They also ordered that the clans must meet every full moon and put aside their grievances on every full moon, or else there would be both immediate and long-term consequences. Tall Shadow....spoke up...and.." he trailed off as he realized there were many, many eyes on him.

Spottedlead rubbed up against him, "You are right, Ravenpaw. Very good. Tall Shadow thought that infringing upon minor parts of the code, and only once or twice, was far too menial to have their lives ripped away. The spirits budged to her statements, but had a final request. The medicine cats, then not a spiritual role, would be the bridge between the mortal world and the home where the spirits resided. The fallen ancestors explained that there would be just one hole in the barrier: the moonstone, and that a medicine cat or a leader would have to be present for the barrier to open temporarily. The Four agreed, and the sky burst with light, and stars patterned the sky. Ravenpaw, care to explain what happened next?"

Redtail smiled gently as Ravenpaw faltered, and stopped in his tracks for a time. Firepaw and Spottedleaf gently encouraged him forward.

"Okay....well. There was a problem. The world had not yet stabilized. There were sporadic seasons, dreadful storms, terrifying winds, and water was either raging, or was stagnant. The clans had been nomadic due to this, and had been trying to find temporary spots where living was possible. The Four, concerned for their clans, made a pilgrimage to the moonstone, and pleaded with the newly-formed starclan for a solution....and they were given one, but it was daunting."

Firepaw seemed stunned, "Really? What'd they have to do?"

"Starclan had little power at the time," ravenpaw explained, "The Four asked why the ancestors did not aid them. The fallen spirits chastised them for their insolence, and explained that Starclan could only grow in power with time, prayer, and with more spirits. They explained that Starclan itself would need leaders, unbiased and firm. The spirits asked that, after their final life was lost, the Four take an eternal task: Wind Runner would stabilize the winds, earth, flora and fauna, Tall Shadow and Thunder the seasons, moon, and sun, and River Ripple would reign over the waters, and fight the storms that threatened to destroy the clans. After days of consideration, the Four agreed to it."

Spottedleaf leaned down to whisper, albeit not really that quietly, into Firepaw's ears, "and it is said that if any of the clans are ever in dire danger, that the respective founder of that clan will come down to aid us."

Firepaw hummed at that, and looked down at his paws, thinking for a moment,  "What was the last gathering like?"

Redtail blinked, and pushed himself to remember that far back. He didn't really tend to remember gatherings unless something stupid happened. He knew at his first gathering he made a fool of himself by playing some stupid prank on Hopstep. Falconrush thought it was a brilliant idea at the time to try and trip him and see if the black cat could recover. Flamestar had chewed them out for it, but Hopstep was a pretty good spirit about it. The last gathering was uneventful, no one said anything really stupid.

Well, except for one of the leaders.

"The previous Shadowclan leader passed away," Redtail said, nodding, "Or, well, Yellowfang said he was murdered. Shadowclan said it was a fox. but Brokenstar took his place. Everything went downhill from there, but he was surprisingly quiet during the endeavour."

"I believe yellowfang," Firepaw said, "She's nice."

Redtail turned his neck around as far as it could go to spot the orange molly, who was discussing something with spottedleaf, "If you say so. I don't really...have an opinion yet. We don't know if she's guilty."

"Why would she lie about it though? She didn't lie about Brokenstar being her son, or about how she got here."

"Sometimes cats twist their stories to get a favorable outcome," Redtail turned back around to face firepaw when Yellowfang abruptly looked back at him. Something about the cat gave him the shivers. She wasn't pretty, even if his sister seemed to think so. To each their own. "We'll keep her as safe as we can until we know for sure. Although Brokenstar isn't trustworthy either, so-"

"so, shadowclan won't give us the truth either way. We ought to trust her."

Redtail sighed. "We have to wait for Bluestar's word."

"Does she decide who's guilt or innocent?"

"It's not just her. She takes into consideration everyone else's thoughts. She'll probably pull me aside with yellowfang and discuss the matter more...thoroughly, when we're not being attacked."

"but the decision is ultimately hers?"

"Someone has to do it. Why do you care about her so much?" he was risking sounding callous here, but he was genuinely curious about what Firepaw believed in and how he thought. He wouldn't get to know him just by staring at the boy.

"well I know it's hard at times to live here in the forest," Firepaw said, shrugging, "I didn't want her to...die out there. She seemed genuine. But I don't know everything, I guess."

"and I know you don't like us sharing food without giving it to the kill pile, or whatever, first, but she was starving. There's gotta be exceptions, right?"

Redtail blinked, but before he could explain the warrior code, Bluestar moved ahead to begin the journey to the fourtrees, "We'll...talk about all this later. Go join your friends, if you want."

Instead, Firepaw called for Ravenpaw and Greypaw to join him at his side. They almost tripped over themselves, and Redtail almost ran over them, but it was genuinely very enjoyable seeing the three young cats having such a good time already. Even Ravenpaw, notorious for being constantly nervous, was laughing as the other two apprentices attempted to mess with him. It gave Redtail some warm feelings in his stomach. He remembered his first gathering when he, Falconrush, and Mousefur were trying to play games with each other on the way to the fourtrees. He wasn't even that old yet, being one of the newer warriors, but he did miss being able to fool around like he was when he was an apprentice.

"Don't move ahead of Bluestar," Leopardfoot chided as Greypaw got underfoot, "I heard she likes to smack kids who try stupid things near her."

"We should test that theory!" Greypaw yelled gleefully back, and weaved underneath multiple cats' legs until he was right beside Bluestar, who simply told him to fall back.

The grey apprentice returned to Leopardfoot's side and stuck his tongue out, "No she doesn't!"

Leopardfoot cuffed his ears, "You haven't seen her when she gets angry, though."

"Oh yeah? What's she like when she's angry?"

This time both Whitecloud and Tigerclaw joined in, moving to flank their mother on both sides. She fell into stride with them, and nuzzled each of them as they walked. 

"Shortly after I was made an apprentice," Whitecloud began, "I thought it would be a good idea to walk on some ice. Some of the river had frozen over, but I didn't know it was so thin. I slipped through, and fuzzypelt had to go and get me because I panicked- I don't know how to swim. Anyway, when I got back, Bluestar had me watch her kits for the rest of the day."

"That isn't that bad?" Firepaw asked.

"Oh, maybe not to start. but Stonepaw, Mistpaw, and Mosskit were quite the pawful. Noisy, the lot of them. Kept asking me for stories about my adventures, even though I wasn't even that old. Oi, Tigerclaw, why don't you tell them about your....escapades, yeah?"

Tigerclaw glared back at his younger brother, "Sure. I was almost a warrior, I think. Mum had told me to go and get some more moss for the nests, and shortly after Bluestar requested that she'd like hers cleaned first. And, actually, Whitecloud, you were the one encouraging me to do this-- we decided to prank her, by..."

"oh man, what'd you do, put a dead adder into her nest?" Greypaw whispered, "That'd be so cool."

"No, nothing like that," Tigerclaw laughed, "I put a bunch of dead bugs I found into her new moss. maybe a few chewed-off mice tails too? I don't remember. Bluestar wasn't too happy about it though."

Leopardfoot scoffed, "You don't remember the half of it. She yelled at me first, telling me I didn't raise you as good as I could. of course, I told her off for that, but she made you spend the night slowly picking off each of the bugs and tails, dropping that moss off, and then making a brand new nest until it was to her liking. Then she made you clean the elders for their fleas."

"Oh, she did?" Tigerclaw frowned, "I'm sorry, I didn't know she yelled at you for it. You don't deserve that."

Leopardfoot nudged him, "Hey, you were just a kid. You were both pawfulls, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Aw, mum, embarrassing us in front of the apprentices."

"Although, there was that time you snuck thorns into Goosenose's nest, Tigerclaw."

"I wasn't going to just let him treat you like that!"

"I didn't say I thought that was a bad thing, now did I?"

"Mischief runs in their family," Thistleclaw yelled back from where he was, but Redtail could only see the tom's plumy grey-and-white tail, "Watch, Whitecloud, your kits will be no different."

Whitecloud shrugged, "Maybe not, but Brindleface knows what she's doing. Maybe she'll nurse it out of them, who knows."

Redtail was grateful that Brindleface had eventually agreed to stay behind with her kits. He knew she still wasn't happy about the situation, and he wouldn't be either if he was in her paws, but she was much safer with the other queens, and so were her kits. They were young, and needed to be warm through the leaf-bare.

"Did you ever do anything foolish, Leopardfoot?" Patchpelt chipped in, looking behind her to grin at her sibling. Oh no.

Leopardfoot bounded ahead to push her sibling gently, "Maybe!"

"You have to tell us now," Whitecloud encouraged.

Leopardfoot chuckled, "All right. Well, back when Bluestar, Snowfur and I were 'paws, we were pretty energetic-"

"And you aren't now?" Patchpelt teased.

"Shush! I'm telling a story- this was before my first battle I had...Snowfur challenged me to a race, and of course I won that. But we wanted to see who was really the most well-rounded apprentice in thunderclan at the time. So we decided to climb up some of the biggest trees we found. Giant oak tree, with branches very high off the ground. So all three of us got to climbing, and by the time I reached the first branch, the other two were already up there. So when I got up there, Snowfur started teasing me about how slow I was. And I just couldn't have that, you know how it is. So, me being young, I thought it'd be really funny to push her off the branch."

"You did not," Firepaw gasped a little.

"I did! But then she reached out to grab me, yelling about how horrible I was, and when she grabbed onto me, I stumbled, and we both fell out of that damn tree. I dislocated my shoulder when I fell. Bluestar was yelling at us the entire way home. It was pretty funny."

"The moral of the story is that you suck at climbing." Greypaw concluded cheerfully.

"Sure, if that's what you want to take away from that."

Whitecloud stopped laughing to look at his mother, "Who was Snowfur, anyway? You told me you guys were good friends. What happened to her?"

"She passed away," Thistleclaw interrupted with a grunt, "Snowfur was Bluestar's sister. The sweetest cat around."

Leopardfoot smiled fondly, "She was. I wish Pinestar had given her a more suiting name, like...Snowheart, Snowcloud, or Snowflower."

"She was my mate," Thistleclaw said.

"Oh," Whitecloud said, and then frowned, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up-"

"It's no problem, really," Leopardfoot reassured, "I'll tell you all about her when we get home, okay?"

"Was she that important to you?"

"Absolutely. If Pinestar wasn't my mate, I probably would've gone for her. Oi, Bluestar! Did Snowfur even like mollies?"

Bluestar halted abruptly, and her shoulders sank slightly. "Yes. she never told you? When I was with her she used to tell me she had the hots for you. Never shut up about it, until she and thistleclaw became an item."

"I knew it!"

"ooooh, mum likes mollieess!" Tigerclaw teased, nudging his mother.

"Yea, and? There's a lot of fine girls here, too. I just...prefer toms."

Tigerclaw paused, "You know I wouldn't mind, right? If you took another lover, yeah?"

"I just thought....you wanted more time with me."

"I'm not that clingy!"

Leopardfoot scoffed, "I would know, I'm your mother."

"I get plenty of time with you. I see you every day. Besides, you seem lonely sometimes."

"Thank you," Leopardfoot's voice picked up with cheer again, "That means a lot to me.

"So tell us," Whitecloud said, "Who's the lucky lady? or lad?"

"Oh, no-one important..."

"Can we guess until we find the answer?" Greypaw asked, falling back in line with Redtail's stride this time. The deputy had fallen behind a bit, trying to keep company with One-eye, who had decided to come with them.

"She's younger than me, that's all I'm telling you."

"Is she in the crowd with us?" Greypaw pushed.

"Maybe, and seriously! that's all I'm telling you, can we move on? Firepaw, what was your home life like? How was your father? your mother?"

Firepaw seemed happy to talk about his family, "It was comfortable. I never knew my mother, she went away before me and my sister really grew up, but I had two dads. Jake was the...kittypet? is that what you call us? He was great; he took us outside all the time and told us funny stories about my other pa. Then he just kind of...disappeared? and that's when I started seeing more of my dad. His name is....Spider...something."

"Spiderstar," Leopardfoot supplied, "Russetclaw told me about him."

"Yea him! He never stayed for long, 'cause i guess the houses belong to you guys or something, but I like him. He's pretty calm. I look nothing like him, though."

"Well, two toms can't sire kits, mouse-brain!" Greypaw teased.

"I know that!"

"So before I joined you guys, I went out to try and see what life outside was really like....I mean, I'd been out before, but. Anyway! then...Brokenstar? attacked me. Leopardfoot arrived just in time, like in those crazy stories you sometimes hear. Will Spiderstar be at the gathering, too?"

"Unless he's sick, then it'll be Hopstep, but he'll probably be there. All leaders go to the gathering," said patchpelt.

"That's so nice! I can't wait to see him."

"I'm sure he'll be excited to see that you're one of us, now." Redtail said. Although maybe Firepaw would be happier with Windclan? He'd never even asked, or given Firepaw the opportunity. But he supposed at the end of the day, it was Firepaw's decision. He hadn't even been part of thunderclan for long. He'd have to talk to Spiderstar and Bluestar about it.

”I don’t imagine why not!”

the fourtrees were within view now, and so were the group of riverclan cats, but they were too far away to be identified, except for crookedstar at the lead.

“Oh right, I almost forgot! My sister still lives in the houses. Princess, her name is. She’s a real dork, but sweet.”

”sounds a lot like Greypaw,” lionheart teased.

”I’m not a dork!” 

Mistpaw laughed at him, “yes you are! You like to play pranks on everyone.”

”No! Only like...once a moon maybe!”

”were you the one who put those cobwebs on my nose when I was sleeping?” She accused.

”No! Maybe!”

leopardfoot grinned, “that’s why she came to me with a sneezing fit not too long ago?”

Greypaw shrugged, and mistpaw batted at his ears.

Redtail laughed at their antics, and shut his eyes as he took a deep breath. It was finally nice for the clan to just be happy, tell stupid stories, and not be fighting. And they were finally getting somewhere with Shadowclan, too.

when Redtail opened his eyes, it was like...something came and devoured everyone. There was so much blood everywhere, with a single cat still towering above it all. Before Redtail could scream, flames enveloped the both of them. But Redtail didn’t feel burning, and within a moment, everything was normal. Peaceful.

He forgot about the messages that starclan had been sending him. It seemed to him that they were getting more urgent. Redtail looked up, and found Tigerclaw’s gazing back at him.

“Are you okay? You looked like you saw Starclan for a moment there.”

that was one way of putting it.

”No, really. I’m okay.”

tigerclaw slowed down, “more about the dreams that we had? I had more weird visions not long ago.”

“Please explain.”

”well, my mum, I remember her distinctly crying. Like, bawling. Then there was just...one huge cat. Covered in blood. Then fire and....drowning in blood? Awful. I hated it and I never want to see that again.”

”was that cat...you?”

”do I look huge to you?”

redtail’s tail twitched, “No, I’m just thinking out loud here. Cut me some slack.”

Tigerclaw’s fur rippled, “The cat blamed it all on me.”

”sounds like a lovely time.”

”oh yeah,” tigerclaw said sarcastically, “I’d invite it over for a meal.”

”was it a molly or a Tom?”

”couldn’t tell you? It looked like...if you took all of thunderclan and...mashed their forms together. So much screaming.”

redtail nodded. “Okay, well...there’s a better time to discuss this. Meet me in the medicine den. Spottedleaf is better with these things than any of us.”

”Agreed.” And with that, Tigerclaw bounded up the formation to be back at his mother’s side.

Redtail felt a weight lift off his shoulders. Maybe he was still going to die soon, but at least he knew it wasn’t tigerclaw now. But now there was fire involved, bloody fantastic. He was distracted by their arrival to fourtrees, and soon they were met with Riverclan's group as well. True to Crookedstar's word, Skyheart wasn't there. The cats dispersed to go meet with each other, and Falconrush went to Redtail's side.

"I was wondering where you wandered off to," Falconrush said.

"I was keeping One-eye company. She was a bit slower, and I didn't want her falling too behind."

"How noble of you," Falconrush smiled, "oh, hey, it's Silverpaw. Let's go say hi!"

The three did find each other, and this time Mistpaw and Stonepaw joined them. The three apprentices nuzzled each other briefly.

"I'm sorry about your loss, you guys," Silverpaw murmured.

"Thanks," Mistpaw replied, "It's...hard. to think about. Bluestar had us rushing to the moonpool and back. second time I've been there since I was an apprentice."

"It was nice to feel so relaxed, though," Stonepaw said quietly.

"I'm sure it was! How's Thunderclan faring?"

Falconrush's ears went back, "Well, Bluestar almost demoted Redtail-"

"What!" Silverpaw interrupted, "Really?"

"It's....a long story. I'd...rather not bring Riverclan into this unless we have to."

"That's fine by me," Silverpaw reassured, "We'll be here if you need us."

Falconrush nodded, "Other than that, we've got a new kit, and more on the way. Goldenflower's expecting, aaaand...a new apprentice. Redtail's actually, Firepaw."

"Oh, right, I remember you mentioning him. Can I say hello?"

Falconrush looked around, "Sure! He's...over by Dustcloud, with...I think that's Blackclaw."

Silverpaw rushed off before Redtail, Falconrush, Mistpaw, or Stonepaw could say anything else. Shadowclan arrived shortly after, with such a large amount of cats that Redtail was actually concerned for a moment. There was Brokenstar, of course, but almost every other warrior was with him, except for Nightpelt and Blackfang, oddly. When Russetclaw saw them, she rushed over almost immediately.

"So, we've got some developments." She began, "We're still setting up the whole Yellowfang dying thing. It's hard to do, with Brokenstar watching almost our every step, but we did manage to persuade him into thinking we chased her out of your camp. There's just...one pretty big issue."

"Now what?" Falconrush groaned.

"Brokenstar raided Windclan before we came here. Chased everyone out, except for the elders; He made us kill them."

"I'm not even surprised anymore," Redtail hissed, "Is everyone else okay?"

"I think Spiderstar lost a life while trying to evacuate everyone, but he's still alive. I don't know where they went off to."

"We'll get them back...eventually."

"My paws are kind of forced here, so I don't know if I can help you much outside of the issue with Yellowfang."

"That's okay, We'll...figure it out on the way."

Brokenstar was the first one to jump up to the highstones, "Let's get this started, shall we?" he called. 

"Where's windclan?" Crookedstar asked hesitantly, "What happened to Spiderstar?"

"They're...out, at the moment," Brokenstar said.

Redtail excused himself and took his spot at the base of the 'stones, with the other deputies. Blackfang wasn't there, and some part of him felt sympathetic. Infection was never pretty, and Redtail was wondering if Brokenstar was forcing Blackfang to behave like this.

Breamheart caught his gaze, "The forest won't do well without Windclan."

"We'll find them."

"None of us know where they went! They could be anywhere."

“Who cares where they went?” Brokenstar interrupted, leaving only silence in his wake. Bluestar and Crookedstar glared at him. 

“All right,” said bluestar mildly, “Riverclan will start first.” She ended up having to stop Brokenstar from leaping at both of them. Luckily, the two parted with little fanfare.

Crookedstar nodded, “well, hunting’s slowed down a bit with the colder weather, but we’ve always been able to manage. We’re excited to announce our new apprentices: Dacepaw and Salmonpaw. Their mentors are Sleetclaw and Whiteclaw, respectively. Come out from the crowd, the four of you.”

the mentors ushered their apprentices to the front of riverclan’s crowd, and quickly Riverclan took to cheering. Many thunderclan voices chipped in, but there was silence from Shadowclan, except for Blizzardnose and Russetclaw.

“We’ll also have kits on the way soon. Whiteclaw’s mate, Mallowtail, found out she was pregnant not too long ago.”

”that’s great news,” Bluestar smiled. Crookedstar smiled back at her, even if his jaw was slightly crooked.

”we’ve heard about what has happened in Thunderclan, and we are very sad for your losses. It’s never easy, especially with leaf-bare coming tomorrow.”

Bluestar didn’t move, and her expression was deadpan. “Yes. Due to Shadowclan’s....interference, we’ve lost the father to my kittens, Thrushpelt, as well as Halftail. Rosetail’s survival hangs in the balance. Earlier this moon, poppydawn passed away from starvation, and fuzzypelt was...killed in battle. We thank Riverclan for returning his body to us for burial. It means a lot.”

bluestar met Russetclaw’s gaze in the crowd, and didn’t skip a beat, “we took in a Shadowclan refugee, and before the gathering she was chased away-“

”she was a criminal!” Brokenstar spat.

”and you aren’t? You attacked windclan and drove them out! You’ve lost so many cats during the process!” Falconrush spat.

Bluestar’s head swiveled around to glare at the young warrior, who promptly looked away and crouched to the ground.  

“On a better note, snowkit was born not too long ago, and Goldenflower is expecting tigerclaw’s Kits. We also have Two new warriors: Dustcloud and Sandstorm!”

Redtail cheered his former apprentice’s name so loudly that he was sure that he’d go deaf, or his lungs would fail first. He saw dustcloud laugh sheepishly. If only Sandstorm were here- everyone was proud of her.

“We also have a new apprentice, Firepaw. He’s being mentored by Redtail at the moment. He was from the twoleg nests, but he shows promise.”

”struggling enough to look to kittypets for help, eh, bluestar?” Brokenstar sneered, but bluestar didn’t even react. In response, the Shadowclan leader edged closer to her.

”I’m not struggling enough to attack an innocent kit, that is all I will say to you.”

”he was stealing food,” Brokenstar hissed lowly. 

“Food that wouldn’t have been yours in the first place, because he lived in the twoleg dens.” Crookedstar stated.

“You two are walking on a thin line here! I could kill you both!”

“I’d like to see you try, young man!” Crookedstar challenged.

Brokenstar snapped. He surged forward, grabbing Bluestar by her shoulder and thrashing her around before tossing her off the highstones. Redtail rushed to her side.

”I’m fine,” she gasped, “help Breamheart with Crookedstar. I'll help the others, quickly!”

 Shadowclan cats leaped into battle now, lashing out at any target close to them. Russetclaw, Blizzardnose, and Flintfang quickly fled the scene, and Redtail was glad that Brokenstar didn’t seem to notice. Redtail sprang up the stones again, this time with Leopardfoot and Falconrush at his sides. Breamheart was up to defend his brother, and even silverpaw had clambered up the stones to defend her father. Shadowclan warriors noticed this, though, and soon there was more to worry about than just Brokenstar. Leopardfoot ripped Brokenstar off the riverclan deputy, and pushed him aside.

"Coward!" she spat, "Attacking us at a gathering!"

"He started it!" Brokenstar spat, glancing towards Crookedstar, who was preoccupied with a few other Shadowclan warriors.

"What are you? A child? A day-old kit has more sense than you!"

Firepaw scrambled up the rocks to join the frey, dodging Applefur's swipes. The ruddy tom jumped into Brokenstar, staggering him enough that the leader plummeted to the ground. The problem was that Firepaw went with him.

"That cat is not much better, sometimes," Falconrush muttered.

"Stay up here with Riverclan. I'll handle Firepaw." Redtail said, and nodded to Leopardfoot as well.

"Be safe down there," Falconrush called as Redtail ran to help his apprentice.

Brokenstar had Firepaw pinned down into the snow, and Redtail couldn't tell what Brokenstar was biting at. Redtail ran as fast as he could through the thick snow, which was almost up to his face at this point. He saw Firepaw flailing around, and his heart skipped a beat. This cat didn't deserve to die!

It was Carpfang who beat him there, biting into the back of Brokenstar's neck. The tom pushed into his shoulder, and grabbed onto the leader's muzzle. Brokenstar yowled in pain, and used his huge paws to tear the black tabby off of him. They disappeared into the snow as the tussled. 

Redtail stooped low to allow Firepaw to grab on to his shoulders. The apprentice was bleeding swiftly at the back of his neck and his ears were torn. 

"What were you thinking?" Redtail reprimanded.

"He was gonna kill Bluestar! He attacked you guys! They banished Windclan! Spiderstar is my dad, I can't just...let him get away with that."

"He would have killed you," Redtail said, scanning the crowd, "Where's my sister?"

"We're both too short," Firepaw joked, still gasping for breath. He gazed back up at the highstones, now devoid of any warriors. Firepaw jumped back up them, and beckoned for Redtail to follow.

Some Shadowclan cats had run away, but the vast majority were still fighting. Brokenstar had managed to separate from Carpfang, and was barking orders to keep fighting. Redtail thought it was insane- There were two clans with most of their cats in the field. A lot of good cats could lose their lives now, either during the fight or after. It was cruel, and Redtail couldn't imagine living under Brokenstar's reign, or under any leader who only had violence in mind.

”there! She’s with Ravenpaw and Lionheart! I think she’s in trouble!”

Redtail could see her cornered up against one of the trees. She was standing above Ravenpaw, and Lionheart was trying to defend the both of them from a few Shadowclan warriors, the only one that Redtail could immediately recognize was clawface.

he wasted no time when he recognized the group, and forgot about firepaw at his side entirely. He jumped as far as he could off the ‘stones and slid under as many scampering paws and failed grabs until he could clearly see his sister.

she was bleeding heavily. Lionheart must have just arrived.

”what are you doing to my sister!” Redtail yowled at clawface, but the other Tom did not answer. Lionheart regarded the deputy with a stiff grunt, preoccupied with fending off the warriors apparently hell-bent on killing spottedleaf.

redtail’s face scrunched up into a snarl, and he pounced onto clawface’s back, biting into his shoulder blades. The taste of blood was palpable, but Redtail didn’t care. Spottedleaf and Ravenpaw had to be safe. He didn’t know what he’d do if they weren’t.

Clawface didn’t flinch, more focused on lionheart, as he was bigger and more of an immediate threat to his goal.

clawface’s children were there to help him, however, and dawnfur lashed at redtail’s face. When the deputy didn’t let go of his spot on clawface, dawnfur doubled down and ran around his father only to leap at Redtail. 

As his face was pressed into the snow, he saw clawface leap at Lionheart, grasping him by his throat. 

Redtail’s heart pounded so hard he could hear it in his ears, and he thrashed in his attacker’s grasp to no avail. He managed to get an arm free and scratch at dawnfur’s eyes, luckily drawing enough blood that dawnfur hissed in pain, loosening his grasp. Redtail scurried out from underneath him, crouching to the ground as stumptail joined the fight, trying to pin the deputy down.

When Redtail moved to help Lionheart, his friend wasn’t even moving anymore.

time seemed to slow down, but clawface didn’t even have any interest in Redtail, and lunged straight for spottedleaf instead. Ravenpaw squirmed free from spottedleaf’s protection to aim a few swats at the Shadowclan warrior’s jaws, but was met with little sympathy. Clawface caught ravenpaw’s arm in his jaws, yanking the apprentice harshly away from his mentor. He only let go when Redtail launched himself into clawface’s side once more.

”Redtail!” Spottedleaf cried hoarsely, “they’ll kill you!”

Redtail didn’t have time to respond, and as long as they were attacking him and not his sister, he didn’t care. Clawface shook himself violently, and stumptail grabbed Redtail by his back and threw him to the ground.

”we’re not here for him,” clawface spat at his sons, “take the apprentice away, I don’t care what you do after that. Keep Redtail out of my way, now!”

Stumptail pressed his paws onto redtail’s cheek and forced as much weight as he could on him to keep Redtail mostly immobile. Dawnfur jumped at Ravenpaw, who froze in fear and yowled as he was torn away from the group. Redtail didn’t see where dawnfur was taking him, and try as he might, he couldn’t do it.

”don’t kill her, please!” Redtail begged.

”I’m just doing my job,” clawface hissed back. Spottedleaf glared at him.

”if you do this, you will not go to starclan.” She warned. Despite her heavy wounds, she stood as tall as she could on her paws. 

“What do I care? I have no one who cares about me up there. Everything important is down here.” The two of them stood, glaring at each other. Redtail felt like he was going to die purely of nothing but spite and agony. 

“Your parents! Your ancestors!” Spottedleaf hissed.

”so?”

spottedleaf shut her eyes, and when she opened them, she met her brother’s panicked gaze. 

“What do you want with me.”

”Brokenstar wants you dead.”

”why.”

”If thunderclan gets to dictate what Shadowclan does to its medicine cats, we get to do the same,” clawface said, “and besides, thunderclan is much less of a threat without their medicine cat.”

“Will you kill my brother?”

clawface looked back at Redtail, still thrashing around in the snow.

”we can do that now. Stumptail-“

”don’t you dare. Just me. You don’t need him.”

Stumptail’s maw was a whisker’s length away from redtail’s neck. Redtail mouthed for spottedleaf to run away.

”I won’t fight back,” Spottedleaf said, “as long as you let him live.”

clawface considered this, “we could kill the both of you.”

“Thunderclan will already be upset by my death, but to kill their deputy as well? You will get all of starclan involved. Shadowclan will burn. If I die, and I see my brother in starclan with me?” Her voice was deep, and cold. Her stare was back on clawface now, and it was unwavering. Redtail screamed at her to run away. “I will break starclan’s promise of self-determination just to make sure that Shadowclan doesn’t exist, and that no one even remembers any of you.”

Clawface’s ears pinned back, and at once he launched himself at the medicine cat, but gave no further orders to stumptail. 

Redtail couldn’t breath as he watched clawface maul his sister, and as she tried in vain to fend him off. Redtail yowled and spat as he watched her body go limp in the snow, dyed red.

”let Redtail go.” Clawface demanded, licking blood from his mouth.

stumptail hesitated, and Redtail put all his strength into pushing stumptail off of him and rushing to his sister’s side.

to some relief, Brokenstar yelled for Shadowclan to retreat. Some of them were severely injured, but Redtail didn't care about them at the moment.

The first cat to come to redtail’s side was silverpaw, followed by leopardfoot and dustcloud. The three cats pressed into his side.

”dustcloud, dear,” leopardfoot whispered, “get Greypaw. He needs to know.”

dustcloud nodded just barely, and disappeared into the crowd.

”I couldn’t save her.” Redtail said grimly.

Leopardfoot didn’t say anything, but she used her paws to make Redtail face her, and pressed his face into her soft fur.

”she was a great cat,” leopardfoot assured, “thunderclan’s finest medicine cat.”

redtail nodded, his body shaking from grief and the blistering winds.

silverpaw rested her head on spottedleaf’s shoulders. She purred gently. “We will pray for her, for everyone. I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

”...not your fault.” Redtail rasped.

”I know,” silverpaw whispered back, “if you need to talk. Come to Riverclan, we’ll be there for you guys, too. Come wake me up if you want. Anything.”

redtail nodded, his throat too thick to give her any response outside of crying.

Bluestar arrived, with Falconrush and Thistleclaw. Falconrush ran to Redtail’s side, grooming the fur between his shoulders.

”your kindness is noted, silverpaw.” Bluestar said softly, “go see your father. Tend to your wounded. We will talk soon.”

Bluestar waited until silverpaw left, and riverclan regrouped.

"Leopardfoot, carry Spottedleaf, would you? I'll...I'll carry Lionheart."

Greypaw and Dustcloud came then, and Greypaw wailed when he saw his mentor's body. Dustcloud cooed gently, and helped Bluestar get the fallen warrior onto her back. Thunderclan slowly congregated around the fallen warriors, and when Bluestar announced for them to leave, the cats moved slowly. 

Redtail stood back up with his legs shaking. He felt tigerclaw brush up to him, and ask something. Redtail didn’t care. He didn’t want to know.

falconrush fell back, “hey tigerclaw, give him some space, would you? He lost his sister.”

”I know. I know how that feels. I just want to make sure he’s ok.”

redtail shook his head, “well, I’m not. Just...leave me alone, okay? I’m sorry.”

tigerclaw frowned, “don’t apologize. I guess...i was being pushy. Talk to you tomorrow.”

”Falconrush,” Redtail called hoarsely, “please check on firepaw. He was beat up pretty bad. And Ravenpaw, too.”

”of course. I’ll be back. Don’t fall too far behind.”

he was one of the few cats in the back, with only One-eye and patchpelt with him.

”hey, kid.” One-eye said loudly, as she could hardly even hear herself, “your sister was very sweet. I’m sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine what it feels like.”

”it feels worse than losing my own mother.”

Patchpelt responded this time, “we can help you bury her.”

redtail jerked his head up, “I don’t think I can bury her anyway. I couldn’t...I can’t do that.”

patchpelt nodded, “that’s fine also. Just...know that Spottedleaf is up there with you. Hang on to us, for her, okay? I know it’s hard. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost my sisters or birchtail.”

“Thank you.”

they stayed next to him the entire way back to camp. They met Riverclan on the way back, and both clans briefly checked over each other to quickly patch up some major wounds. The Riverclan medicine cat was alive and well, and didn’t complain about helping other cats this time. He came over to Redtail to say his apologies, but left. Redtail was thankful for the short exchange.

When they entered camp, the warriors chosen to stay out for the gathering exited their dens. Questions bombarded the group when they saw the wounded warriors.

”where’s my brother?” Goldenflower asked as soon as she saw Greypaw, battered and bleeding. Greypaw just shook his head. Laureltail had joined her daughter, and looked distraught as she saw who Bluestar was carrying. She buried her face into her daughter's fur.

Tigerclaw shoved his way through the crowd to be with his mate. Frostfur joined them, quickly shooing her kits away to the den. Redtail wasn’t sure if they even understood the concept of death yet.

Ravenpaw quivered as leopardfoot put Spottedleaf down.

“I can’t do this on my own!” He cried, “I haven’t been a medicine cat apprentice for long!”

yellowfang looked down at the fallen medicine cat’s body, and then at Ravenpaw. “You won’t have to, kid.”

Thistleclaw stepped in between them, “we can’t keep you here. You’re dangerous.”

”what other options do you have for a trained medicine cat?”

Leopardfoot glared at Thistleclaw, “back off. Spottedleaf just died! We can discuss all of this tomorrow, yeah?”

Bluestar nodded her agreement, “they have not even been buried. They deserve to rest without hearing us argue. Those who wish to bury lionheart and Spottedleaf, come with me. Redtail?”

redtail inclined his head slightly and shook his head. Bluestar just nodded back at him.

leopardfoot moved to join Bluestar, but before she did, she stopped at redtail’s side. “Hey. Don’t worry about handling your duties tomorrow. I’ll take care of it. You’ve done so much lately- and it’s time for a break. I’m sure Falconrush will enjoy your time.”

”I can’t thank you enough, Leopardfoot.”

leopardfoot smiled, “no need. You’ve supported me so much through my grief. I feel like I should try returning the favor. See you tomorrow, please get some rest if you can.”

“I’m sorry,” firepaw said when most of the cats went with Bluestar, “if I hadn’t attacked Brokenstar, you wouldn’t needed to have saved me, and then Spottedleaf and lionheart would still be alive.”

redtail didn’t have the energy to even be angry. “No. Don’t...blame yourself. Just...just go comfort Greypaw. He needs some help. How are you feeling?”

firepaw pressed his forehead ever so slightly against redtail’s chest. “My bleeding isn’t actually that bad. Face wounds always bleed pretty bad, but it’s dry now. Anyway, If you need me to do anything. I’ll do it.”

redtail just grunted, and watched firepaw bound off in the group’s direction. The queens, with the exception of frostfur, were all that was left in camp, along with the elders and Falconrush and mousefur.

Falconrush and mousefur didn’t say anything as they joined the deputy. He rested his head in falconrush’s chest fur, and looked up at the stars. He hoped his sister felt okay. He hoped that she could see him still.

Redtail didn’t want any more cats to have the same fate, and he’d do anything in his power to make it happen.

even if he had to trade his life for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you're wondering how long this will be, it'll run aaaall the way into the Darkest Hour. I'm thinking maaaaybe 80 chapters for the whole thing, but we'll see.
> 
> Also, sexualities for the thunderclan kitties:  
> Bluestar: bi with strong preference for toms  
> Redtail: bi with preference for mollies  
> Spottedleaf: bi  
> Ravenpaw: gay  
> Dustcloud: straight  
> Fuzzypelt: straight  
> Thistleclaw: bi  
> Tigerclaw: straight  
> Leopardfoot: bi with preference for (older) toms  
> Patchpelt: straight  
> Lionheart: straight  
> Greypaw: straight  
> Whitecloud: straight  
> Sandstorm: bi with strong preference for toms  
> Darkstripe: asexual  
> Birchtail: gay  
> Falconrush: gay  
> Willowpelt: straight  
> Mousefur: asexual  
> Robinwing: straight  
> Goldenflower: bi  
> Rosetail: lesbian  
> Frostfur: straight  
> Brindleface: straight  
> Laureltail: bi  
> Halftail: straight  
> Stormface: gay  
> One-eye: bi with preference for mollies  
> Thrushpelt: straight  
> Firepaw: bi


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A smaller chapter, but a happier one. I have finals coming up but my life is going to be much more free when this semester ends. I’ll probably even get around to posting designs on my tumblr listed a few chapter before this one.
> 
> I also want to thank you for reading, whoever y’all are. It means a lot to me. I love writing everyone in these fics, and I’m proud of how my writing has improved.
> 
> Enjoy.

Redtail woke up screaming.

the cat next to him flailed wildly for a moment, and then pressed into his side firmly. He was whispering something, but Redtail didn’t hear. All he could see was his sister being murdered, and thunderclan being driven to ruin.

he was always too late to save those he cared about.

panicked, Redtail lashed out at the cat, pushing him away and into another nest and onto another cat, who hissed in response.

“Redtail,” Falconrush cooed, “it’s just me. You see me? I’d never hurt you, you know that?”

”just get him out of here. We need sleep and it’s been a long day.” The other cat responded. It was too quiet and too dark for either of them to place the name, and with the addition of sandstorm and dustcloud, nests had been rearranged.

Redtail glared at both of them.

”come on,” Falconrush whispered, heading quietly out of the warriors’ den, “let’s take a walk, okay? Some fresh air. You don’t even have to do your duties today, remember? Leopardfoot’s taking care of them. We’re taking care of you.”

redtail wondered why they hadn’t taken care of Spottedleaf, or seen her in trouble. Lionheart risked his life and paid the price for it. He was the only one.

redtail followed him out. Falconrush and Leopardfoot were the only calm voices in the storm that was his mind. Between starclan’s violent dreams, and his sister’s death, he wasn’t sure how much he could take.

they left to head towards riverclan, and occasionally Falconrush would check to make sure Redtail was still following. The two of them stopped at the river, flowing gently. The storm has quieted over much of the night and small hours, but the snow was still deep. Falconrush pressed against Redtail.

”I love you.” He said warmly.

redtail wanted to believe him, but every time he loved someone, they got murdered. He didn’t want Falconrush going, too.

he thought about plunging himself into the river, and drowning. It would stop these thoughts, it would stop his terror. He would be safe if he was gone. Maybe everyone else would be safer, too.

redtail choked out a tired sob, “I can’t take this anymore, Falconrush.”

“Talk to me.”

redtail felt so selfish. He felt so stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

”I miss my sister, I want her back. I want my mum back, and...and, and lionheart, and everyone I couldn’t save..”

falconrush rested his head on redtail’s forehead. “We can’t save everyone.”

”I should’ve tried harder!” He hissed back.

”You try as hard as you can. Those warriors were stronger than you and you were outnumbered.”

“I should’ve noticed earlier.”

”almost all of Shadowclan was there, Redtail. You were fighting so many cats.”

“Thunderclan needs her more than it needs me.” Redtail swallowed, and looked down at his paws when Falconrush tried to look him in the eyes.

”ideally, we’d have both of you. We need both of you. None of us wanted this. But...listen to me. We want you to stick around. And maybe it is selfish, but damn it. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. We want to see you grow, and maybe become our leader one day! All of us care about you, and whatever we can do...tell us. We’ll do it.”

redtail thought about how leopardfoot wasn’t given that same luxury because her mate, a former leader, abandoned her. They shunned her. Thought that she should have prevented it.

and here he was crying about his sister. Cats lost their loved ones all the time. He was being selfish, too selfish. He didn’t deserve to live. 

“I don’t want to be here anymore.” He said grimly. 

“Why not?”

redtail paused to think about it, and struggled to find a way to explain himself.

”She should be here. I should have saved her. She would be happy.”

”hey, Redtail. You said it yourself; she sacrficied herself for you. She wants you to be alive. She was at peace with her decision. She’s up there, watching us right now. I know it’s hard, and it takes time to recover from this. I know i’d be distraught if mousefur died, and I’m sure it’d be the same way if the situation were reversed. Anyway- she wants you to be here. To see you be the best deputy and leader thunderclan has ever seen.”

redtail smiled softly and gazed heavenward. 

“Yeah. Yeah, I just...I wish I was stronger. If I hadn’t been born like I was, a tortoiseshell Tom, I would be stronger. At least, that’s what goosenose said.”

falconrush shrugged, “I know. But you know what? You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, seriously. Getting brindleface’s kits back like you did? Genius. You apprenticed dustcloud too! And look how good he is.”

redtail felt himself getting warm, despite the cold. “Yeah. You’re not too bad, yourself.”

”I’m not as good as you.”

redtail shoved him into the snow, and laughed when his mate threw some wispy snow back at him. “Shut up, you’re the fastest warrior in thunderclan. I bet you put some windclan cats to shame!”

“You’re damn right I do!”

Redtail purred fondly as Falconrush returned to redtail’s side. The two sat in comfortable silence for a long time.

”can I talk about these dreams I’ve been having lately?”

falconrush nodded, “of course.”

”I don’t think tigerclaw is the one who’s going to kill me. I got a different variation when I was walking to the gathering, and tigerclaw even saw the same cat I did. It can’t be him.”

falconrush scrunched his face up, “well...who do you think it is now?”

when Redtail opened his mouth, Falconrush interrupted him, “wait! What if it’s brokenstar!”

it...was plausible. But something about redtail’s first dream threw some doubt into it. “No. When I first got the message, these cats told me that this Tom swore to protect us. Brokenstar didn’t do any of that.”

“Could it be a Riverclan cat? We have good relations with them right now. Many of them said they’d stick up for us....skyheart, maybe?”

”it’s a Tom. Skyheart is definitely a molly. She has no...malice about her body, or however that works.”

”just a suggestion. What about...uhm...Breamheart? Crookedstar?”

”Crookedstar is one of the sweetest cats I’ve ever met. I don’t think he’s ever killed anyone on purpose or on accident. And Breamheart...he’s..got a strong character, kind of like Thistleclaw. I wouldn’t put it past him, but I doubt it.”

“Well...what about Thistleclaw. He’s ambitious, and pretty violent.”

”he’s violent to cats outside of thunderclan. He pushed tigerclaw around a bit as an apprentice, but he’s never hurt or preyed on anyone. Not that I know of, anyway.”

“Isn’t he banned from having an apprentice ever?”

”yes. Bluestar won’t tell me why. I think it’s because of how he almost got lionheart and Goldenflower killed when they were apprentices?”

“Well. I’m out of guesses. Maybe the cat will show up later? Maybe they’re not even born yet.”

redtail thought about how Goldenflower was expecting. Some of the clan had started to ignore her for it, as they were related to pinestar, but those cats were in the minority. He also considered about how laureltail was nursing those Shadowclan kits.

”speaking of not born yet,” Falconrush continued quietly, “do you...want a family?”

”well. I can’t sire kits, and you aren’t into mollies.”

”I’ve talked to laureltail, Redtail. If...if Shadowclan doesn’t take these kits back. We could take them in. They could be our kids. A family!”

Morningkit and hollykit were young enough for it, he supposed. But snowkit was being raised as their brother. He didn’t know how he’d get the kid to not think that neither Redtail nor Falconrush were his parents. Maybe laureltail could explain that later?

but...kittens. He could have some semblance of a normal life. Falconrush would be a good father, he thought. 

“Would I be a good dad?”

”hello? Absolutely. Not only were you the apprentice to Leopardfoot, honorary clan mum, you are so selfless, genuine and...and caring that I don’t know who would do it better.”

redtail laughed a little at that. But some feeling he didn’t like settled in his chest. The most accurate way to describe it was discomfort, maybe dread.

”I don’t know. I’ll think about it...I just think we’re taking this too fast? I’m not ready to raise kittens just yet.”

Falconrush nodded, “I understand. And hey, I’m fine with never having kids to raise. Just, let me know if you change your mind, or need to talk. We don’t need to go too far with this.”

“What did mousefur and one-eye day about us?”

”oh. Mousefur just said she knew that this would happen, and one-eye just congratulated us. I don’t think they care either way. Mousefur has known for a long time that I don’t care to take a molly as a mate.”

”okay. Good.”

the conversation lulled back into silence, broken only by their quiet purring and the slow leaf-bare winds. 

He wished Spottedleaf would be here to watch him raise kids. Maybe one of them would be medicine cats one day. He would’ve loved to have her teach one.

but she wasn’t here. She wouldn’t ever be here anymore. And if she gave him a life, he wouldn’t see her in starclan when he died. It was all so...final. Bile rose in his throat and he forced it down.

but he would prove them all wrong. He would prove himself and these thoughts wrong. He would live in spite of them. He had to. Thunderclan needed him. And even if cats died, he loved serving every single one of them. He was proud to be thunderclan’s deputy, proud to be a warrior. 

Falconrush was right. And redtail remembered what he had said to leopardfoot earlier, about how their ancestors wanted cats to hang on to life and be happy for them. Leopardfoot had taught him that. He would never forget it.

and it was hard to cope with loss, and he doubted that he would forget his sister’s death for a long time, but that’s just the way things were. It was okay to be sad, he knew now. It would only lead him downward to keep it inside. It would lead thunderclan astray. 

He wasn’t selfish. Well, maybe he was. But it was okay sometimes, he thought. But if his sister was at peace with what she did, and he knew she loved him, that meant everything to him.

He decided he would be the best deputy he could be for her. For Leopardfoot and her lost kits, for lionheart, Thrushpelt, fuzzypelt. Everyone. He wanted to bring peace to the clan. He wanted them to be happy and not be afraid of who was going to be the next to die.

It was going to be so, so much hard work, and sleepless nights. But that was the sacrifice he’d have to take. 

Redtail was determined to be a sanctuary for thunderclan, and for other cats that needed help. That’s why he was helping Shadowclan and Riverclan. They’d always fight, but that didn’t mean they didn’t have to show compassion and sympathy.

He knew there’d always be fear, and hurt. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t be there to help, and keep cats feeling safe. To keep fear at bay.

He could do it with his friends at his side, and his mate. He’d give everything he had to them.

even if it meant his life, he knew. He wouldn’t mind, as long as he gave his all. It’d be okay.

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ready for a long chapter? Hope you enjoy. Really contemplated splitting this into two, but couldn't figure a way to end either section in a satisfactory manner.

Redtail woke up early morning, like he always had since he became deputy. His head was pounding, likely due to his breakdown a few hours earlier. He got up as quietly as he could manage in order to not stir any warriors still sleeping, but to his surprise, Leopardfoot was up by the Fresh-kill pile. She was the only one outside of the four sentries positioned at various entrances. 

"What are you doing up?" he asked as he walked through the snow. It almost covered him, and he had to keep his head particularly high to avoid getting snow in his eyes. 

"I'm doing your job today, remember?" Leopardfoot whispered back. She moved aside to let redtail take her spot, where the snow had been packed down due to her weight. 

Redtail nodded and said a quick thank-you. Staring down at the fresh-kill pile, he realized that there was not enough food to feed the entire clan. Maybe just the queens and some elders would be eating. Maybe if they were lucky, they'd catch something. 

"we can get by with the queens and their kits, and the elders. We might have to split the meals between the apprentices if they don't eat the entire meal. But, it's better than nothing. I'll send out a hunting patrol when more warriors wake up, I think. I know that there are quite a few birds and squirrels that hang around the trees near the twoleg nests."

"We'll have to deal with the kittypets," he responded. That said, he'd only ever seen a few. There was Pinestar, even though he’d never seen him, and the one cat who he used to see Firepaw with. Redtail never really went to the nests that often.

"They haven't been trouble ever since Pinestar became leader a while ago," Leopardfoot said, "The kittypets there hunt sometimes for sport, and I'm sure they won't mind us using that for actual food."

Redtail nodded, and then his mind wandered off to a completely different subject. “Did you talk to whitecloud about snowfur?”

leopardfoot frowned. “No. Last night was too hectic. I was thinking of doing it today, but I have no clue what to say.”

”just...tell him the truth?”

”what if he hates me? What if he shuns me?”

”whitecloud? No, he’d Never. You raised him before his eyes were open, right? You are his mother. You might not have birthed him, but you loved him as you did with your other kids. I’m sure he’ll be proud of you. He might be...shocked, but I think he’ll get over it. Besides, if anyone shuns you, they’ll be speaking to me.”

redtail shifted to be closer to his mentor, “whitecloud is one of the sweetest toms I know. I’m sure he’ll be upset to know that he never got to know his birth mother, but you? You did everything to keep him alive and safe. You put aside your grief for snowfur to raise him. That’s...that’s incredible!”

leopardfoot laughed sadly, “it was hard. I’d just lost nightkit and mistkit. But whitecloud and tigerclaw needed me. Maybe I should have told them earlier.”

redtail shrugged, “the way I see it- you did the right thing. Whitecloud shouldn’t care that he’s ‘just’ your adopted son. He will likely just keep calling you ‘mother’.”

”brindleface offered to tell him for me, but that feels disingenuous. I can’t keep hiding this forever.”

”it is probably best to...acknowledge the truth. You need some kind of outlet. Regardless, whitecloud is a good cat. I don’t think what you did or didn’t do will change his opinion of you.”

leopardfoot nodded, but didn’t say anything for a long time. The two of them sat there until more warriors woke up, namely both whitecloud and tigerclaw. They were joking about something, but Redtail couldn’t quite hear them.

”I think...I’ll take them on a hunting patrol, and tell them then. Care to come with me?”

”of course,” redtail agreed, “it’s been a while since I’ve done normal duties.”

Leopardfoot beckoned her kids over, who wholeheartedly agreed to go on the patrol with them. They decided checking the twolegplaces was as good a bet as any, so off they went through the thick snow.

“The kittypets probably won’t even be outside,” tigerclaw stated, “it’s too cold. Rogues might. We might have to fight them.”

whitecloud scoffed, “I think they’ve got better things to do than pick a fight with four cats, one of which is one of the biggest cats in Thunderclan.”

leopardfoot puffed her chest out, “I was always the strongest among my siblings.”

Redtail was too busy trying to keep his head above the snow to talk with them. Occasionally, leopardfoot would stop and let him catch up.

”do we have to carry you, Redtail?” Tigerclaw teased.

redtail glared up at him, “you’re barely taller than I am.”

Leopardfoot stopped once more, and looked behind her shoulders, "Walk behind me, Redtail, Tigerclaw. It'll be easier."

"I'm not that short," Tigerclaw sniffed. Leopardfoot smiled at him even when her son didn't take her advice. Redtail was freezing, so he followed up behind her. Whitecloud jabbed his brother in his shoulders, causing him to fall over and spray snow everywhere. Redtail felt a stinging pain as some got in his eyes.

"Very elegant," Whitecloud teased.

"You pushed me! What else was I supposed to do?"

"I thought you were a solid enough warrior to not fall like that. Look, you got Redtail all wet now!"

Tigerclaw scoffed, "So! It's not gonna kill him!"

Tigerclaw looked at him, then, and something in Redtail's gut churned. He really felt that he should say something, about the prophecy. Everyone would panic, though, wouldn't they? If they found out there was a murdered within the clan, it would undo everything they've worked so hard for. Maybe it was best to...let the cat believe that no one knew. 

Redtail looked away, "The fences are just up ahead."

If anything was going to kill him, it would be guilt. Guilt about not telling anyone. Guilt about not saving his mother, fuzzypelt, or thrushpelt, or Lionheart, or Dawncloud, or....or Spottedleaf. His sister he loved dearly, his sister who would probably give him a life and then he'd never see her again. His sister that, if he had just been bigger, and stronger, and not been born like he was, and sick almost every moon, he could've saved. She could've been here now.

It probably wasn't healthy to be thinking this. 

  _"Redtail! They'll Kill you!"_ He heard a voice shout, distant and distorted. He dug his claws into the snow. It was his sister's voice. Was starclan out here to torment him, or was this just going to be his mind forever?

When he jerked his head back up to see Leopardfoot, moving away now, he could barely hear Spottedleaf scream his name. Everything else felt distorted, and when Redtail got up to follow them, it felt like he wasn't even alive. It felt like he was watching himself move. 

Tigerclaw nudged him at some point. Redtail blinked, "What?"

"Leopardfoot's asking if you're okay."

Redtail jerked to meet her worried gaze, "yes. I'm doing ok, I think."

"Are you going to need help up the fence?" She asked. Whitecloud was already up there.

"No, I'll-"

Just then, a large tom joined Whitecloud on the fence. He was large, and had a gaudy, green studded collar on his neck. His appearance reminded him a bit of Dustcloud, but with longer fur and a thicker build. His pelt was colored with grey, and his face had several scars. Redtail didn't recognize his smell at all, and he took several steps back.

"Leopardfoot!" The tom greeted. He jumped down to meet her on the ground outside the twolegplaces, and attempted to nuzzle her. In response, Leopardfoot turned her face away.

"Why are you here?"

"I live just over there," he motioned with his head towards a house that Redtail couldn't see even with the gaps in the wooden fence, "You don't remember?"

"I thought you lived farther away, closer to where the tall buildings are. The shiny ones."

"My owner moved out over here. I missed seeing you, you know. I like it better- it's closer to you all."

Lepardfoot sighed, "I...I guess I do, too. You know I don't think of you that way anymore, right?"

"We're still friends."

She hummed a little at that. He laughed nervously in response, "We aren't? It's been moons since...you know."

Leopardfoot frowned, and jerked her head towards Tigerclaw, "Tell me, have you ever met my friends before?"

The tom studied Tigerclaw for a long time, and shook his head. "No. Is that small one Redpaw? I know you used to talk about him a while back."

"He's been Redtail for a solid twelve moons now. But yes, that is Redtail."

"I don't recognize this one, either."

Leopardfoot laughed. She looked away from the two of them, and towards the ground. After a long, shaky series of breaths she spoke again, inching towards the chocolate tabby until they were less than a paw's length away. 

"That's really funny to me, actually."

The tom blinked. Redtail tilted his head, not sure if it was impolite to interrupt the conversation to ask who this stranger was, and how Leopardfoot knew him when he used to live towards the more densely-populated twoleg nests. 

"Why is that?" The tom asked after a while. Redtail had tensed himself into a crouch. He wasn't sure he could trust this strange cat. Whitecloud and Tigerclaw did the same.

"This fellow here is my son," She spat, "This is _our_ son! Pinestar!"

Redtail sprang backwards, and Tigerclaw had a shocked look frozen to his face. The two toms exchanged glances.

"I told you to stop calling me that. My name is Pine, now. Has been for a long time."

"You earned that name," She hissed, "When you became leader. When you lost eight of your lives protecting thunderclan. Why would I dishonor you?"

"Because I don't like it. I don't like the name, it reminds me of the life I hated."

"Why didn't you leave sooner?"

Pine's tail lashed impatiently, "Because I knew that Thunderclan needed me, so I left with only one life. I didn't want our kits to see me die. I didn't want you to see that, I-"

"I would've rather had that, Pinestar. I....I loved you. You were the father to my three kits. They should've grown up to know their father."

Tigerclaw's shocked face turned into hot rage, he stepped in between his mother and his father, "You abandoned her. You abandoned me, and my sisters. Do you know how hard our life had been?"

"I lived it," Pine responded coolly, "Of course I do. I decided I didn't want that for me. Our children were probably better off, Leopardfoot."

Leopardfoot shook with grief after a moment, "They...They weren't, Pinestar, they really weren't. Mistkit and Nightkit died the day after you left us. I had to raise Tigerclaw on my own."

Tigerclaw launched himself at his father, pinning him on the ground. He didn't loosen his grip when Pine didn't bother struggling. 

"My sisters died because of you! My mother was shunned because of you! Did you know that? Did you know that, after you left, only me, Whitecloud, Redtail, Robinwing, and Bluestar were the only ones who would speak to her? Not the medicine cats, when she needed it most? Not even her own sisters! Do you know how miserable you made our lives?"

Tigerclaw placed both on his paws on Pine's throat, and Whitecloud jumped down and tried to gently nudge Tigerclaw away, whispering something.

Pine grabbed onto Tigerclaw's front legs. "wait a minute- Who is Whitecloud? When did Bluestar become leader?"

"Bluestar became leader....13 moons ago, maybe. Flamestar lived a short life," Whitecloud explained, "I am...Leopardfoot adopted me after my birth mother died. Snowfur."

Leopardfoot, astonished, looked at Whitecloud, who smiled fondly. 

"You are not any less of a mother for that, by the way. You've done a bang-up job, I think. Raising the two of us. I am your son. Doesn't matter that you didn't give birth to me."

"Snowfur died?" Pinestar rasped, and tried to get up, but Tigerclaw kept him down by his throat. 

"Hit by those...those monsters that roam the thunderpaths. She and I were going on a walk with Thistleclaw, and...a Shadowclan patrol chased us. She...was too slow. I took Whitecloud in as my own. I love him as my own. Tigerclaw, dear, please let Pinestar....Pine, go."

Tigerclaw hesitated, but eventually did honor his mother's request. Pine coughed a little as he regained his breath, and then his green gaze rested squarely on Redtail; He had no idea what he was looking for in him.

"I recognize you," he said.

"I was born shortly before Tigerclaw was, I don't know how you would."

"You're the small one of Dappletail's lot, aren't you?"

Redtail shrugged, "Yea. It was me and Spottedleaf. She was the medicine cat, after Pearwhisker."

Pine frowned, "I saw a cat who looked just like you in a dream I had, when I was still the leader."

There was the dread again. "Just...tell me about it. Tigerclaw and I have been having similar dreams."

Leopardfoot blinked, "Wait a minute, why wasn't I told about this?"

"I didn't want to scare you," Redtail explained hastily. Tigerclaw murmured his agreement, "Just...let us explain, first."

Pine shuffled his paws, "I started having these dreams after Leopardfoot had our three kids. The first was a cat, a big tom, rising out of a pool of thick, dark blood. I saw dreams of everyone close to me being killed violently, one by one. The last one I saw was this same cat standing over my son. Then there was you, Redtail, trying to kill him, I think. but...you couldn't- or didn't. I couldn't take it anymore. I never got sleep. I just wanted these dreams to stop; I wanted Goosenose to stop telling me my kids, and everyone I loved, would perish. And he couldn't even tell me who this cat was!"

"The cats who have died....we haven't lost them in groups for the most part, have we?" Whitecloud asked quietly, "First it was Dappletail, then Fuzzypelt, then Thrushpelt, Halftail. Lionheart. Spottedleaf."

"None of these cats have much in common,"  Tigerclaw spat in frustration.

"Maybe it's someone close to you, Tigerclaw? If Pine had a dream where this cat was literally standing over you," Redtail suggested, and immediately regretted it when Tigerclaw glared at him. 

"You really think I'd associate myself with a murderer, huh? Someone who's out to destroy Thunderclan, really? Are you thick?"

"No! and maybe it's not someone in Thunderclan. All I've got is that he's someone who's promised to protect us. It could be a friend of ours, too."

Tigerclaw seemed mildly appeased by this, "Whatever. We're here for food, anyway." He shouldered his way past his father and jumped over the fence.

Pine shrugged and looked at Leopardfoot, "Listen. I'm really sorry, for everything. I never...wanted to leave you like I did, but I kept having these dreams. I didn't want to see everyone die because of me. This life is easier. I don't have to wonder where my next meal is coming from, and my owners keep me healthy. You could come with me! Cats aren’t meant to live such tormented lives, and they'd love you, and Tigerclaw. Listen, I just...I never wanted to be like my father. He was a bad cat, Leopardfoot."

She acknowledged his speech by looking at him for a moment, "I'm just fine surrounded by my family and friends. Fighting for them, dying for them. Your kind of life....doesn't hold much purpose for me. And...listen, I don't know if I can really forgive what you've done. I understand why, but..."

"I know. If it's all the same to you, I consider you a very strong cat. In all ways," the tom smiled softly, "I'll show you where a good spot for birds are. Jackdaws, magpies, a few others. And if you medicine cats can’t fix something, my owner will. You don’t understand- I’ve lived this long because of them. I don’t get sick! Whenever I’m hurt, I don’t have to worry as much about dying of infection. Starclan can’t do that."

leopardfoot looked at him as the group jumped over the fence to catch up to tigerclaw, “Maybe not. But they give us hope after we die. They give us a greater purpose. Feeling like we can make the world greater for cats to come. I will get to see my kids and my fallen friends when I die. And I get to serve those who live. I know that what is keeping me alive right now is the fact that they are watching over me, and wishing that I live the best life I can. And no one can stop me.”

”okay, yeah,” was all pine said, “so life’s finally looking up for you?”

”despite a lot of thunderclan getting murdered recently? Yes. Actually, you know what? If you wanted Tigerclaw to not grow up like your father, you could have just...raised him as such.”

"Try having a bunch of dead cats sending you messages for the contrary," Pine scoffed back at her.

"I don't know what you went through, but you didn't have to leave us all behind!"

"Yes I did! for my health, for my safety! My life matters, too. And I still have a purpose: to make my owners happy. They love me unconditionally."

"And so do my clanmates."

"but they shunned you?"

"For what _you_ did!"

Redtail stepped between them, "That's enough. Pine, are those the trees up ahead? Thanks again for showing us."

Tigerclaw was already there, lurking behind some bushes with his brother beside him. It was probably a redundant question, and all Pine did was grunt anyway.

"Listen, the two of you," Redtail picked up his pace a bit to stop in front of Pine and Leopardfoot, "We all make mistakes. You may forgive them, you may not. But what matters is...making yourself better. Making your society better. Pine, you could have at least visited Leopardfoot and Tigerclaw after you left; You could've been there for your grieving mate and your children. But that's behind us now- You're here now. You've found your purpose, and if you do choose to keep talking to Leopardfoot, do not forget about what she went through. Be there for her when she needs it. And if you do come back to Thunderclan for a visit, or what have you, you can meet her by the Great Sycamore."

"I suppose.." Pine sighed heavily, "I can do that for them. If you'll let me, Leopardfoot."

Leopardfoot didn't look at him for several moments, and her shoulders sagged slightly as she shifted her weight. She nodded, just barely, "All right."

Redtail smiled, "And to regard to the shunning- Leopardfoot, I promise that I will make sure that it never happens to anyone ever again. It was not your fault, it was Thunderclan's fault. Our superstitions and bias. But we don't need to treat any cat this way. And if anyone treats a cat like how we used to treat you, they'll have to speak to me. And it won't be pretty. I promise you this. We will work on this, and I'll spend the entire rest of my life doing so, if need be."

He heard leopardfoot make a noise between choking and sobbing and trying to hide both of those things. He felt warmth swell in his chest.

Pine shifted, "How many of my old friends are alive, anyway?"

Leopardfoot frowned, "Robinwing, Bluestar, Thistleclaw, One-eye, Stormface, my sisters, Rosetail, Brindleface, Laureltail, Frostfur. Everyone else I think was born or brought in after you left."

Pine's ears lowered and he took a staggered step towards Leopardfoot, "What about Swiftbreeze? Adderfang? Rainrush?"

Leopardfoot looked away, "Swiftbreeze starved to death keeping the clan fed. Adderfang died defending Goldenflower from a shadowclan patrol, and Rainrush....I don't know what happened to him. He started shaking one night, couldn't walk. Then he just....went asleep and didn't wake up."

Redtail remembered Rainrush's death potently, as well as Adderfang's. Adderfang and Goldenflower were mentor and apprentice, and on Goldenflower's warrior assessment she had ended up being cornered by a hefty shadowclan patrol. Adderfang jumped out and fended them off while she ran away. Swiftbreeze must have died before he was old enough to remember, and he'd never really heard Leopardfoot or her sisters speak much about her.

He assumed that was because it hurt too much, alongside the other things weighing down on her.

but he would do everything in his power to make sure that with his remaining days, she would be happy. That she would stay happy.

and if he died before he became leader, he hoped that starclan would let him give her a life. She deserved it. He had never known a stronger cat. Thistleclaw May best her in battle, but she held humility and endurance in all things. 

He would give her the life of tranquility. Redtail looked at his mentor and smiled fondly. That, or sanctuary. Blast, they were probably synonyms anyway.

But maybe he would live. And he had a good idea of who his first, and hopefully only, deputy would be. She offered empathy, wisdom, courage. Strength to excel where Redtail could not.

Maybe then thunderclan would be at peace. And if this cat got loose and foiled everything? Then he’d strike him down from starclan. Blast the idea of free will then, no more lives needed to be lost at that point.

 “You know, tigerclaw looks a lot like you,” pine interrupted redtail’s thoughts, “he’s turned out to be a wonderful cat from what I can see. Strong.”

leopardfoot smirked at him, “are you saying you like cats stronger than yourself?”

pine shrugged, “they obviously know more about what they’re doing than I do. Just because I’m getting old doesn’t mean a damn thing.”

Tigerclaw had turned around to face them with a large jackdaw in his mouth. Whitecloud was behind him, and was dragging a fat squirrel.

”so it turns out tigerclaw actually knows how to use those thorns of his for something other than fighting!” Whitecloud teased. 

“And it turns out you know how to do more with your body than making kids!” Tigerclaw spat back, his voice muffled by dead bird. Whitecloud glared at him.

”brothers.” Leopardfoot sighed.

”Mum! Tigerclaw is being mean to me!” Whitecloud laughed as he dropped his squirrel at her paws, and pushed his brother’s arms away from him, “cruel beast.”

“He’s scared off the rest of the prey by now,” tigerclaw muttered, “fool. We came here for food.”

”and we got it,” Whitecloud purred.

”not enough.”

”relax, we can live for a while. Well, at least I can.”

Redtail nudged Tigerclaw gently, "If we split what you caught, we should have enough for many cats. We'll come around the Shadowclan border, and end by the sunningrocks." He said, forgetting that he wasn't supposed to be giving orders today. He could hear Leopardfoot chirp in the background.

Leopardfoot shifted, "Speaking of which. Pine, have you heard anything around the thunderpath lately?"

The big tom shrugged, "I didn't personally hear anything. I guess I run sort of a...kittypet group nowadays. I humor them by telling the lot to go on odd adventures when it's safe outside. Maybe a moon or two ago, Rusty's sister and the cat he used to live near saw a band of cats, probably shadowclan, murdering a young mother. They obviously booked it. They also saw a fox, a very pregnant one, up near there."

"Dawncloud," Redtail whispered. Shadowclan used her corpse to frame Yellowfang. Those kits weren't as young as they had thought if her death happened about a moon ago, but they could very well be sick or malnourished. Hopefully not both. Now, at least they had some proof of Yellowfang's innocence. 

"Who in starclan's name is 'Rusty'?" Tigerclaw hissed. Redtail glared at him for being so....pissy.

"A young chap, the son of Jake, and Spiderstar. Well, Jake is the biological father. Rusty left not too long ago, but his sister is still here."

Leopardfoot nodded, "He's with us now. His name is Firepaw- he's actually Redtail's second apprentice."

"Oh, good for him. Shame I can't tell Jake. Poor sod died an awful death. Some horrible things in the sky- I can only imagine that the people built them- dropped things onto the bigger nests and outside areas. He was caught in it. And, well."

Leopardfoot hung her head a little, "Well, at least his kids are safe. I hope he lived the life he wanted."

Pine smiled fondly, "Oh yes, he did. Before I left I often visited the nests here, and he was more than happy to talk my ears off. We'd do...stupid things together. He showed me his people, I told him more about the clans, about Thunderclan. He showed me to Shanty, another one of my friends. One of my greatest friends. I miss her....but, I'm getting off topic. When Jake was young he roped young Spiderstar into many adventures outside of windclan. I don't know too much about that, but Jake lived well."

"Shanty?" Whitecloud prompted.

Pine lowered his head, "Hit by those monsters. I had to run and get her people, and..I don't know if she made it. I haven't heard anything from her. But...enough about me, go feed your clan. If you...ever need anything from me, or my...posse...let me know. It's the least I can do, after...what I did."

Leopardfoot moved so suddenly that Redtail jumped in surprise. The molly pressed her face into Pine's chest, and took several deep breaths. 

"I know things can never return to how they were, but I'll...try to forgive you. I'll miss you, and I'll miss us. But you are a good cat, I believe. We just...aren't good all of the time, are we?"

Pine rested his head on hers, "No...definitely not. For what it's worth, I'll do whatever I can to regain your trust. I'll break my back, if I have to."

"In that case, get out of here," Tigerclaw grunted. When Leopardfoot separated from her former mate, Pine just stared back at her.

"I'll. I'll leave, Thank you Leopardfoot, Redtail. For your hospitality. I...didn't expect it, considering my past. See you around."

They said their goodbyes, jumped over the fence, and toward and past the Shadowclan border with surprisingly nothing happening. He couldn’t even smell the scent markings from across the ‘path like he usually did. Normally he’d be glad to take extra territory, but it felt like a trap, somehow. 

“They might be taking advantage of windclan’s territory,” whitecloud pointed out as they rounded the great sycamore, which still smelled like dawncloud.

“How did you know that I am not your biological mother?” Leopardfoot asked suddenly, her soft green gaze on whitecloud.

Whitecloud stopped in his tracks, “I, well. Thistleclaw brought up that snowfur was his mate before the gathering, and I know you don’t care for him too much, so. I just figured it out from there. I asked brindleface too.” 

Leopardfoot was about to respond, but the white tom continued, “and I don’t care about that, by the way. You are my mother, always. I wish I knew snowfur, but I love you as if you birthed me. I couldn’t ask for anyone better.”

"Thank you, I don't know what to say other than that."

"and, hey. If Firepaw got to have two fathers, who is to say that I cannot have two mothers? I just hope one day I get to see both of you up there with me one day."

Leopardfoot laughed a little at that, "I hope so too. but...I think Snowfur might've given Bluestar one of her lives, so...I can't say for certain."

"Well, whatever fate she had, I'm sure she's pleased with you, anyway. I know if I were her, I would be."

Leopardfoot smiled, "She means so much to me."

Conversation lurched into bittersweet silence, and they continued through the snow with no real event. Redtail felt his fur prickle with anxiety, seeing shadowclan seem so lifeless. He couldn't see them, hear them, or smell them really, but he felt like they were right behind him at all times. Maybe they were just lurking on windclan territory. but what if they were in Thunderclan's camp, already? 

Redtail shook his head as best he could with the snow up to his shoulders. There would've been fresh footprints leading to camp if that had been the case. And there was only days-old footprints of when they had encountered Brokenstar with Dawncloud at the great sycamore. 

What he could see was fresh fox footprints. He stopped, and when Leopardfoot realized he had fallen behind, the rest stopped, too.

"Fox," Redtail called as his mentor loped back in his direction, "Fresh. Probably the fox Pine mentioned."

"If she's pregnant still, she's hungry. If she's got kits, she's even hungrier. We'll have to go back and tell Bluestar to be careful sending patrols up this way. Who knows how many she had."

"I'll let her know. Let's go up in the trees, so she can't follow us if she decides that cats make for a good snack," Leopardfoot said, "The forest begins again to the left of us here. Let's go."

They continued in a single-file line towards the forest, and staggered up the first tree they found. To his amusement, Leopardfoot almost lost her grip and fell down.

"Getting old?" Redtail teased.

Leopardfoot smacked them as they stopped to catch their breath, "Hardly. I'm just heavier than you. I'm only...maybe a moon older than Bluestar. She's still young." She shook her fur out and urged them onward through the trees. Soon, underneath them, lay the sunningrocks and the surrounding clearing. Redtail squinted and saw some movement in the river, but figured it was just fish since Riverclan wasn't likely to use these rocks when they were snowed-over. 

Redtail jumped down first, thinking that there might be some mice or other rodents hiding under the trees. He moved the snow around to peer under some of the roots, and saw nothing. Fantastic.

Leopardfoot and her sons had joined him on the ground by now, sniffing around for birds. 

"Whitecloud, Tigerclaw, why don't you take those birds you caught back to the clan, We'll continue looking. And...see if the apprentices want practice fighting in the snow, a group lesson?"

"There's not many apprentices anymore, but Frostfur's kits should be made apprentices soon, right? We can do a group fighting session then, but I'm sure Lionheart-" Whitecloud stopped himself, and frowned, "Right. She needs to give greypaw a new mentor. I'll...go find her."

The white tom vanished into the fog with Tigerclaw behind him. Leopardfoot sighed and Redtail got a feeling like she desperately wanted to say something, so he looked over to her.

"Are you okay?"

"Too much has happened recently, Redtail. We've lost...maybe half of our population? How long until Thunderclan is just a memory? And you're supposed to be the one to stop this?"

Redtail shrugged, "That is what Spottedleaf told me. But...We're still coming up with who the murderer is."

"Do we even have that time? We don't know who is with him. It could be any one of us." She looked down at her paws, messing around with the snow around her.

"I...don't know. We don't know his goals, we don't...we don't know anything."

Leopardfoot turned her gaze so fast to Redtail that he jumped a little,  "He might be using Brokenstar. This cat...hear me out. There is no reason that this cat couldn't have gone for Bluestar or you first. He could've done it in that invasion, and no one would have known otherwise if he was smart enough- and he seems to be. Brokenstar could've killed you at the great sycamore, and any other day I bet that he would've. He could've killed Yellowfang, too."

She jumped to her feet, "They want to keep us scared, I think. I say, we don't give that satisfaction to any of those blokes."

Redtail frowned, "Maybe he hasn't killed me yet because he knew that he might not be chosen for deputy, and hasn't killed Bluestar because it is the elders who make that decision, if the leader and deputy both die."

"We only have Stormface and One-eye left." Leopardfoot responded.

Redtail nodded, "Keep a close eye on them. Move the sentries at the south entrance to the elder's den. Ask them to question everyone who wants to enter. I've got Bluestar's back. It's very unlikely that this cat can kill two times the same night, which...I'm assuming is the reason why this pattern only goes in one."

"The invasion?"

"An outlier," he responded, "Brokenstar told me that Bluestar doesn't have that many lives left. Maybe they planned to kill half-tail, maybe yellowfang, too, but I'm suspicious of Brokenstar's true motives. But they want to weaken Bluestar. If this cat can get rid of Bluestar, then it'll be just me. If he gets to me before I go to the moonstone, then, well."

Leopardfoot's tail lashed, "He's removing any cats who Bluestar would pick for deputy, who show leadership talents."

"He hasn't killed you, Leopardfoot. Bluestar has said many times that, if we were both to die, that she would recommend the elders pick you."

"Damn it, you're right. Can you think of a reason for that? I'm not willing to throw away our current thoughts just for...that."

Redtail shook his head, "No. but we're close, and I can taste it. And I'm willing to bet that this cat has close ties to Shadowclan; They knew where Yellowfang was shortly after we put her there. She stayed underneath that tree, very likely. It's cold, and she's too old to do much. I'm betting that this cat has been going over the border to tip off Brokenstar. I don't know what the reward is for Brokenstar...but we'll find out."

Redtail saw Leopardfoot smile so widely that he couldn't help but laugh. He hadn't seen her smile like that in a long, long time.

"We've got this, Redtail. I know so. But we can't let him know this. If I figure out something, I'll come to you directly. And I think we should ask patrols where they're going. If it's the shadowclan border, I'll come with them."

"That's a good idea. I can't thank you enough for this, Leopardfoot."

"This clan means a lot to me, Redtail." She moved to press her sides into him, and he reciprocated.

"On the topic of...this whole mess," Redtail murmured, "I'm thinking about our potential next victims. Definitely no apprentices, but...warriors, and maybe both of our elders. I think if both Bluestar and I die, outside of you...I'm thinking..Robinwing, Rosetail, Brindleface, Thistleclaw, Laureltail, Frostfur, Goldenflower, Patchpelt, Willowpelt, for the older warriors. If he were to go after younger ones for some reason, then...maybe Whitecloud, Birchtail, Mousefur, Tigerclaw, Falconrush, Dustcloud and Sandstorm. But I doubt any young warriors will be this cat's priority. It's the senior warriors that he's after. So keep a keen eye on our older friends. We cannot just lie down and let him take us. But, I think right now we should tell Bluestar about the fox, and maybe discuss what we can do to get Windclan back where it should be, since that seems to be where Shadowclan is at the moment."

Redtail gestured for Leopardfoot to take the lead, so that he could walk without getting snow in his face. 

"If shadowclan is there," Leopardfoot said, "then we'll also need to keep a more thorough eye on the northwestern border. We don't know how many of them are at either camp, but I doubt that Brokenstar is letting either one stay uninhabited."

Redtail's tail twitched, "We could always...check. Send the smallest cat, or the quietest one and-"

"Redtail, that's you. You are our smallest cat that is the hardest to detect."

"Not in this weather. Right now? I'd send Frostfur, Whitecloud, Mistpaw, Stonepaw, Birchtail, willowpelt, or maybe Thistleclaw. He's big, but hard to see right now. That, and I'm sure he'd enjoy it. He's never been keen on any of shadowclan's ilk."

"I think we should wait and see who Bluestar assigns to Frostfur's kits, so that we don't send cats burdened with their own apprentices. And no, I'm not sending Mistpaw. She and her brother are too young, and I don't want to see them die prematurely in a spying mission. They know how to fight, but in an occupied camp? And sending more than two cats is...risky."

"That's fair. You know, if the crowd thins out enough, it'll be very difficult for this cat to hide himself, at the very least."

"If he's desperate," Leopardfoot responded, "he might just make a mistake we can take advantage of."

Redtail nodded, "So we're getting somewhere, finally. We have some hope that Thunderclan might make it out of this alive. Thank you, Leopardfoot, for your insight."

They went through the grown-over entrance that lead into the nursery, and once more Laureltail glared at them. Frostfur's kits were absent, but the queen herself was still laying in her nest.

"How are you dealing with things, love?" Leopardfoot asked, gently prodding Frostfur with one of her paws.

Frostfur barely shifted, "I miss him. Goldenflower misses him. The kids were wondering where he went and...well, I told them. I told them he was a valiant warrior. And he was. He died trying to save Spottedleaf, trying to save Redtail...and, well, at least Redtail is still alive."

"Do you need anything?" Redtail asked.

"I need to...get out for a while. Is there anything I can do?"

Leopardfoot smiled softly, "Well..we were going to talk to Bluestar about assigning your kits to some warriors. You can stay and watch the ceremony, I'm sure they'd love that. And...maybe then you could help Ravenpaw out sorting the herbs? He's been more nervous than usual lately. Yellowfang had been trying to calm him down."

Frostfur shrugged, "Okay. I suppose that I could do that. Yellowfang...isn't the same as Spottedleaf; She was like...a saint, almost. She had this way with him. Ravenpaw should've been made her apprentice earlier." She followed up her last statement with a subtle glance at Redtail, as if he had the final say in who got what apprentice. He didn't give her a response.

"We're also looking for more food," Redtail said at last, not wanting to dwell on his sister, or his lack of one, "Tigerclaw and Whitecloud brought in a few birds. But we'll need more."

Frostfur got up, and stretched, "I'll wait and see if Bluestar calls a meeting. Leopardfoot, how did that talk with Goldenflower go?"

Leopardfoot shrugged, "She just talked to me about advice on raising them, and for name ideas. She was just concerned, is all."

"Too early for her to be worried," Laureltail scoffed, "She's only just visibly pregnant."

Leopardfoot shruged, "It is ok for her to worry about the health of her kits."

Redtail excused himself, "I'm going to find Thistleclaw and Willowpelt. I think I'll send them over towards Shadowclan, and see if they can find something. And then I'll talk to Bluestar."

Leopardfoot and Laureltail wished him well, and the deputy made quick work of finding Thistleclaw; He was large, and even with the snow he was easy to spot among the crowd. Thistleclaw met his gaze, and smiled. Willowpelt was also nearby, sitting next to Patchpelt, sharing tongues.

"Redtail," Thistleclaw greeted, "What is it?"

"Would you take Willowpelt up to the shadowclan camp? We have suspicion that they've mostly migrated to Windclan, but I want to know what they're up to. Go after Bluestar calls a meeting, to make Frostfur's kits apprentices."

The big tom shrugged, "I can go now- that is more important. Frostfur doesn't take too kindly to me anymore."

"I am not going anywhere," Willowpelt snapped, "Until greypaw finds a mentor he is happy with."

Redtail nodded, "I am going to discuss that with Bluestar. I'm sure Thistleclaw can handle himself."

"Good," Willowpelt said, "Thank you."

Thistleclaw moved to leave, but Redtail interrupted him, "There's a fox nearby, either pregnant, or with kits. Be careful out there."

"All right, I can deal with that. Thanks," he paused for a moment at the exit, "Bluestar is waiting for you in the gravesites. Greypaw, Ravenpaw, and the kittypet are there as well."

Redtail brushed off thistleclaw's comment about firepaw, and simply nodded. He turned tail and sprinted as best he could to the graveyard, where Bluestar was whispering something to Greypaw. Redtail announced his presence with a small chirp, and sat himself down next to Bluestar.

"Redtail," Bluestar smiled, "we were just discussing who to give Greypaw and Frostfur's kits to. I've been thinking maybe Whitecloud for Greypaw, as Whitecloud and Lionheart were close, and I think Greypaw could use the sympathy, and someone to relate to."

Greypaw looked away, "I just want Lionheart back."

"We can't do that, Greypaw," Bluestar said gently, "And we need to continue your training. I don't expect you to work as hard as you have been lately, just take it slow."

Greypaw just shrugged. Ravenpaw pressed himself against his friend's side. 

"As for Frostfur's kits...I was going to assign Brightkit to Robinwing. She mentored both Thistleclaw and Leopardfoot, both strong, capable warriors. Cinderkit to Mousefur for her energy and drive, and because Mousefur hasn't had the chance to apprentice anyone yet. Thornkit to Birchtail. Thornkit is smaller than his siblings, and I think Birchtail could use that to teach agility in combat and hunting. I was thinking to give Brackenkit to Willowpelt or Rosetail, but I've been having trouble settling that decision."

Redtail thought about how much grief Willowpelt had been giving Leopardfoot recently, and he shook his head. "No, not willowpelt. She's been harassing Leopardfoot recently, and since Leopardfoot is training Mistpaw, I don't want them mingling too much. Personally, I'd give him either to Rosetail, or to Patchpelt. Neither of them have had apprentices yet, which is surprising given their age."

"Does Patchpelt cause problems with her sisters still?"

"No, not since...well, when Pinestar left. You know that, but she's...gotten a hold of herself, I think. More calm, and stable. I'd say both Rosetail and Patchpelt make just as wise choices, but Rosetail is older, and has a lot of strength from Pinestar's training. I think she's a good choice."

Bluestar nodded, "I suppose I can give Snowkit to Patchpelt when the time comes, then. Thank you, Redtail. Let's go back, and call a meeting. Greypaw, Ravenpaw, Firepaw, come along."

Redtail followed up behind her, and greypaw trudged after them, lagging behind the rest of the group. He...didn't have anything encouraging to say, really. It was hard to get over a loved one's death, and he didn't expect Greypaw to heal so soon. Maybe Whitecloud could help.

Then again, maybe he couldn't. But redtail had faith in the warrior. He helped Sandstorm after Poppydawn's death, after all.

"Before we do this," Redtail said, interrupting Bluestar's trip up the highstones, "There's a fox out there, with kits, perhaps. We saw tracks by the great sycamore, heading east. I'd be wary sending patrols out near the Riverclan border, and the shadowclan border. We need to send larger groups, and stick to the trees if possible. We might lose some space, but she'll be hungry and I doubt she'll pass up a meal if it presents itself."

Bluestar nodded, "Very well, thank you. Join me up here, would you?"

Redtail followed her leaps up the stones, and sat next to his leader. Her grey tail curled around the backside of him comfortingly. 

Cats were already gathered, as the announcement of Frostur's kits' apprenticeship had been expected for a while now. Frostfur stood proudly in the center of the crowd, with her four children chattering with each other, batting their siblings ears, and trying to knock each other over. Thistleclaw was absent, as he said he would be, but so were Firepaw and Ravenpaw. Redtail craned his head to look for them, but to no avail. Bluestar either didn't notice, or didn't seem to care.

"Now then, let's get this started, shall we?" Bluestar called, "Greypaw, you first. I know Lionheart's death has taken its toll on you, and I do not expect anyone to bounce back so quickly, least of all an apprentice. But I know someone who can help you through this, and train you well in the meantime. Your new mentor will be Whitecloud, he's mentored Sandstorm, and did a great job."

Whitecloud met Greypaw near the back of the crowd, and rested his head on his new apprentice's shoulders. There was no cheering, just some loud purring from the collective of cats.

"Now, Brackenkit, you first. You certainly have an impressive amount of energy about you, and strength for one who is usually so clumsy at this age. For this reason, I'm giving you to Rosetail. She has yet to have an apprentice, but she's capable, strong, and quick. She's got experience that I know she will pass on to you. Brackenkit, from this day forward until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Brackenpaw."

Rosetail seemed to be caught off-guard, but she hopped to her feet quickly, and was tackled by Brackenpaw. Sandstorm and Frostfur cheered the loudest, and quickly the camp was surrounded by noise.

"Thornkit! Smaller than the rest of your siblings. But I think Redtail can say that you may use that to your advantage. So, I'm thinking a smaller, agile cat will do well for you. Birchtail will be your mentor. A younger warrior, but he knows his way on the battlefield, and when hunting. He will teach you well, I know it; From this day on, you will be Thornpaw."

Thornpaw did not have to go far, as Birchtail had been sat right next to Frostfur. They gently touched their noses together, and departed from the crowd to pick out a nest.

"and now for the mollies. Cinderkit, step forward. I do not think I have seen a cat so curious and eager to learn everything in this world than you. A thirst for knowledge, and a desire to serve. In my younger days, Mousefur was much the same way. She's got a fire in her heart, and a spring in her step. You will learn well together, I know, and from now on, you will be Cinderpaw."

"About time," Mousefur chuckled as she greeted the grey cat, who had a big, bright grin on her face, "I will teach you anything you desire, and maybe even more."

"Good," Cinderpaw said mirthfully, "I can't wait."

Bluestar waited for some of the cheering to die down, "Brightkit. You've always struck me as the most level-headed among your siblings. Quiet, yet not shy. A mediator among squables with your siblings. I think someone experienced, and similar to you, will cause you to grow up to be a force to be reckoned with. A beacon we can look up to when situations are dire. For this reason, Robinwing will be your mentor. She has been the mentor to both Thistleclaw, and Leopardfoot. The biggest of Thunderclan's warriors, strong in a fight, and for many other matters. I know she will teach you well, and allow you to grow into a striking molly and warrior when the time comes. Robinwing, meet your new apprentice: Brightpaw. Teach her well."

Robinwing gathered her new apprentice into her chest, and Brightpaw didn't seem phased, Frostfur licked her daughter behind the ears, and then vanished into the apprentices den to see about her other kits. Warriors moved around to congratulate the new apprentices and their mentors, and then within minutes, the clearing was almost empty. Finally, a feeling of happiness and confidence replaced the tension and dread. 

It really was what Thunderclan needed to bring them out of this thick fog of depression. For now, anyway. but they could handle the rest later.

"Things will look up," Bluestar mewed softly, and Redtail looked up to meet her amber eyes, "I know you've lost your sister, your mother moons before, and we have lost many good friends and clanmates, but you've always been so strong through it all. I don't know how you do it- but I'm so, so proud to call you my deputy, and my closest friend and ally. One of the best decisions I have ever made."

Redtail smiled, "Thank you, I try my best, Bluestar. I'm glad to be Thunderclan's deputy, and I hope it stays that way for moons to come."

"Time will tell," Bluestar sighed, "I cannot guarantee my time here is going to be long, but I am here to guide you and my clan. But you will be Redstar, and an impressive leader to give Thunderclan what it so desperately longs to cling to: Hope, and peace. You may not be as strong as many other warriors, but you're clever, and keep a clear head without much bias. We will find who this murderer is, and we will defeat him, together."

The deputy nodded, pressing up against his friend. Pride and cheer welled in his heart, and for once he felt sure of where he was going to go. Leopardfoot had helped him realize crucial information surrounding these murders, and now he felt less cornered, less afraid of the unknown. 

He knew it might not stay that way for long, but for now?

Redtail was pleased. He had his mate, his friends, his leader, and his sister and mother looking down at him from above. He had everything- and no one could take that away from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, happy new year, and I hope you guys had a good one!
> 
> also if you're wondering what Pine/Pinestar was alluding to by Jake's death? This story is backdated all the way to 1940s England outside a suburb of London. So, y'know. The blitz.
> 
> Want a very poor estimate of how big everyone in thunderclan is? Well look no further!
> 
> Thunderclan cats are bigger than average, but smaller on average than Riverclan cats. Shadowclan cats are about average, and Windclan cats tend to be the smallest on average.
> 
> Thunderclan:  
> From biggest, to smallest on the bottom. Apprentices listed are only there when full grown
> 
> Thistleclaw  
> Leopardfoot  
> Lionheart  
> Fuzzypelt  
> Rosetail  
> Pine/Pinestar  
> Brackenpaw  
> Frostfur  
> Brindleface  
> Laureltail  
> Dustcloud  
> Riverclan average  
> Goldenflower  
> Halftail, Stormface  
> Sandstorm  
> Whitecloud  
> Thrushpelt  
> Yellowfang  
> Patchpelt  
> Robinwing  
> Bluestar  
> Shadowclan average  
> One-eye  
> Mistpaw  
> Greypaw  
> Willowpelt  
> Brightpaw  
> Stonepaw  
> Falconrush  
> Windclan average  
> Mousefur  
> Cinderpaw  
> Birchtail  
> Darkstripe  
> Thornpaw  
> Firepaw  
> Ravenpaw  
> Spottedleaf  
> Tigerclaw  
> Redtail


End file.
